Diary of a High School Rock Band
by CrimsonNight41
Summary: Lucy is new to Fairy Academy, a school whose pride is its rock bands. Fairy Tail is a band whose members all go to Fairy Academy, but so does their rival, Sabertooth. Which band will Lucy choose to support, and which will win the title of top new band in Japan? Includes J-rock fanservice, Nalu, and later on, Jerza, Gruvia & more!
1. Chapter 1 - New Girl

A/N: Hey guys! This fanfic was inspired by my love for J-rock and Fairy Tail! So I combined the two into this story. :D If any of you are familiar with J-rock/visual kei, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say there will be fanservice. ;) Hope you all enjoy this! The characters will be a little OOC, just warning you now. Anyways, please read, and don't forget to follow, fave and leave a review! :D

* * *

Chapter One – New Girl

I looked in the mirror one last time as I nervously adjusted my pigtails and checked to make sure that my pleated miniskirt was covering my butt sufficiently. It was. And my hair was perfect and smooth from countless times of running the brush through it. My blonde bangs fell across my forehead at just the right angle, and two perfectly-pointed strands of hair framed my face. I nodded in satisfaction and ran my favorite pink lipgloss over my lips to complete the look. _Perfect._

Several soft knocks sounded on my bedroom door. "Miss Lucy, the car is prepared for you," my maid, Virgo, called.

I turned away from the full-length mirror and called back, "Alright, thank you, Virgo. I'll be right out." After one final glance at my appearance—my black miniskirt looked particularly nice today with my lacy pink blouse, and my thigh-high white stockings with pink ribbon completed the ensemble—I decided that I was ready. The black boots that I wore clunked loudly against the wood floor as I descended the stairs to the ground floor. My bedroom was on the third floor of my sprawling house—more of a mansion, really—so every morning I was forced to listen to the somber clattering of my shoes echoing eerily through the spacious house. For some reason, the sound always made me feel especially lonely.

When I arrived at the bottom of the steps, Virgo was waiting for me with my carnation pink book bag outstretched on her arm. I accepted the bag with a nod and slung the strap across my chest, feeling the reassuring thump of the bag against the side of my leg.

"Farewell, princess," Virgo murmured as she held the door open for me. I stepped out into the sunlight, my gaze already seeking out the sleek black Camaro that my butler, Capricorn, had idling. At my approach, he opened the back door for me and helped me in. I settled back into the plush cushions as he eased the car down the winding driveway that led from the road to my spacious house. For several minutes, he let me sit in silence with my own thoughts. It was just as well, because I was fond of thinking time. Besides, it was still too early in the morning for conversation.

My eyes snagged on the digital clock in the front of the car. It read 7:22. I sighed. All my life, I'd attended private schools. This was my first time attending a public high school, but sadly, it would be my last, as I was going into my senior year. And it was already several weeks into the first semester. My stomach had been a raging mass of nerves last night, so I hadn't had more than three hours of sleep. Good thing the bruise-like shadows wouldn't form after just one night of poor sleep.

As I turned my attention to the passing scenery—small businesses and quaint little homes—my nerves started to resurface. What if no one liked me? What if I couldn't make any new friends, and people thought I was spoiled just because I was the only daughter of a successful business CEO? All the different ways in which I could humiliate myself played stoically through my mind, refusing to be driven away. Briefly, I wondered if I wouldn't have to go to school today if I threw up all over the car….

_No, I have to do this. After all, I was the one who asked for this. If Father decides that this school isn't good enough for me, he might just remove me anyway. But I have to give it my best shot._

I nodded, my conviction reaffirmed. Everything would be okay. Shortly thereafter, Capricorn pulled up to the small breakfast joint that I frequented every day. It was small and modest, but the food was of the highest quality. Today, there were only three other patrons sitting in the stylish little booths as I walked in, flanked by Capricorn. I ignored the looks they gave us, knowing that they were probably wondering the usual; who was the girl, and why did she have an imposing bodyguard stalking her? Indeed, he did look intimidating, with his entirely black sunglasses and slick black jacket that fell over his neat black dress pants. He definitely fit the part of a bodyguard. Or maybe a mafia member. I held in my sigh as I walked up to the counter and returned the smile of the kindly older lady standing behind it.

"Good morning, Miss," she said, her voice a pleasantly deep and throaty thing. "What will it be today? The usual?"

"Actually, Betty, could I have two slices of French toast and a cappuccino? Heavy on the cream."

The gray-haired lady raised her eyebrow as a smile crossed her wrinkled face. "Oh? A special occasion?"

I nodded as firmly as I could manage, but I was unable to suppress the nervous shuffle that my feet did, or the way I instinctively bit my lip. "Yes, I'm starting school today at the public high school."

"Fairy Academy?" the lady asked in surprise. I nodded, and she leaned closer to me and lowered her voice. "My dear, are you sure? You don't really strike me as the type…."

I felt my eyebrows knitting in concern. "The type? What is so special about this school?" Despite my anxiety, I found that I was genuinely curious. The brochure had definitely made sure to advertise the high scores and country ranking, so I doubted it was a school full of delinquents. It must be something else she was talking about.

Betty leaned away and went back to punching in the cost of my breakfast. "You'll find out soon enough," was all she said. I resisted the urge to frown in disappointment. As I slipped her my credit card, I pondered her cryptic message. Maybe it was something more noticeable, like the school was really an all-boys school…. But no, the brochure had clearly said it was coed. So what could it be?

I accepted my food with thanks and headed over to my usual booth by the window front. As I hopped onto the high stool, Capricorn stationed himself against the wall behind me. I turned to him even as I brought a piece of French toast to my lips. "You can sit down, you know. And get something to eat."

He smiled faintly, but shook his head. "No, Miss Lucy, that would be disrespectful. Your father trained us better than that."

I let it go after he mentioned my father. _My father…_I thought bitterly. The man I hadn't seen in over five years. He was always away on extended business trips in America. Sometimes, I wondered if he wasn't just avoiding me. Avoiding our shared past. My hand unconsciously moved to fiddle with the locket that hung on a gold chain around my neck. I could feel its solid weight through the thin fabric of my shirt, resting warmly and reassuringly against my skin. I liked to know that it was always close to me, close to my heart. For it contained a single picture within, of my mother sitting at home with a newborn baby girl in her thin arms. My father stood behind her shoulder, anxiously wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders. But they were both smiling at the camera, their eyes glistening. Especially my mother's. Her soft brown eyes, so like my own, stared straight into the baby's as crystalline tears glittered against her dark eyelashes. They were filled with so much love that it made it hard for me to breathe sometimes. I often wondered if she would still look at me like that today if she were still alive. _If she were still alive._ Just over ten years ago, when I was seven, I had been driving in the car with my mother. I'd distracted her with my hungry complaints, and eventually she had caved, focusing her attention on her whining daughter. Just in time to miss the oncoming truck that had run a red light.

I could still recall the scent of blood mixing in the air, tangy and metallic. And looking down at my own body to see that my mother was lying across my lap, having thrown herself in front of me just in time. I saw her long blonde hair spilling across my legs, speckled with blood. Her pale, sweaty face staring up at me as the last of the light drained from her honey-colored eyes. And of course, I could always see the metal bar protruding from her chest, its dull gray edges glistening with fresh blood. My mother's blood, for I was untouched but for a few minor scrapes and a small bruise on my forehead.

"_Mother! Wake up, mother! You have to! I promise I'll never complain again, just please get up! Mother!"_ _Heaving, choking sobs echoed in the background…. _

"Miss Lucy!" I snapped back to the present when I realized that Capricorn was leaning in close, his hands resting on my shoulders as he peered with concern into my eyes. Shaken, I looked around to try to connect myself to this reality instead of my painful memories. Only one other person noticed me, but I couldn't tell who they were, because they wore a plain black jacket with the hood pulled up. Deciding he/she wasn't important, I returned my attention to Capricorn.

"I'm alright, Capricorn. Really. Just…thinking about…."

He nodded in understanding; he had been my mother's personal attendant before…the accident. "Why don't you finish your food and we can be on our way?" he said kindly, indicating my practically untouched food.

I sighed internally and bit into a piece of toast. It tasted like ashes in my mouth. Though I was no longer hungry, I made myself finish the food anyways, just to keep Capricorn from worrying. Without my father around, the servants always felt that they had to take care of me in place of my parents. And while I was truly grateful to them, sometimes I just wished I could be like a normal girl. Not the heiress of my father's business and the whole estate. Not a girl whose own father blamed her for the death of his beloved wife. Not a girl who wondered if she really was at fault for her mother's death.

Once I'd finished my food, Capricorn escorted me back out to the black Camaro. As he shut the door after me, I glanced back at the little shop, its glass windows advertising all the delectable pastries one could buy within. My stomach did a little flop as I noticed that the hooded person was watching me. I could feel the air crackling as our gazes met, even though I couldn't see their face. Thankfully, Capricorn started up the car just then, and we eased away from the shop, leaving the mysterious person behind. For some reason, I'd felt…exposed beneath their stare. Like they saw more than they should. It made me unnerved, and I suppressed a shiver as I hugged my book bag to my chest.

I could tell the instant we were within the vicinity of my new high school; other kids were walking by themselves or with their friends along the sidewalks, all headed in the same direction. My eyes widened as I pressed my face to the window to ogle them. I'd had few interactions with others my age outside of my previous, private school, and that had been a girls' school, so I'd had next to no interaction with boys my age. I studied them with narrowed eyes as I tried to get a better feel for what they were like. I saw a few of them on skateboards, cruising down the sidewalks with their hands shoved in their pockets and their pants sagging low on their hips. Others were surrounded by large groups of girls, hanging on them and trying to get their attention. _Ooookay. That's kind of…weird. _

I passed a cluster so thick that I couldn't even see to the people in the middle, the ones everyone was gathered around. _Just what is going on here? _I sat back against my seat, more perplexed than ever. Why were there no normal boys? Were boys even capable of being normal? _Maybe I should ask Aquarius…._ Aquarius was my most up-to-date maid. She had a boyfriend, and they seemed to be very serious, so I figured that if anyone knew anything about boys, she did.

All other thoughts fled my mind as Capricorn pulled up to the front of the massive school that suddenly loomed in front of me. My mouth fell open. There were so many people! I looked across the quad—where people were hanging out and talking, along with couples interspersed throughout, locked in a passionate embrace—to the school building. It was huge! For some reason, even though I knew that public schools were more crowded than private schools, I had imagined that it would be smaller. Clearly everything about this school was not what I had expected. The building itself was made of elegant gray stone, various banners hanging across its surface.

As I stepped from the car in awe, I looked around at the rest of my surroundings. The ground was cobbled, and flowering trees lined the broad path leading up to the front doors. There was a bench beneath every tree, and all the benches were occupied with people hanging out or madly copying homework answers before the start of class. A number of smells danced on the air. Everything from perfume and cologne to sticky buns to sweaty gym clothes assaulted my nose. I felt like I had wandered into a foreign universe.

A few people around me looked over with interest as Capricorn drove away, leaving me by myself. I hoisted the strap of my book bag higher on my shoulder and strode toward the school, keeping my chin up. As I passed people, I could feel the heat of their gazes upon me. Boys looked at my assets with appreciation, and girls either dismissed me immediately with disgust or cocked their heads in curiosity. Nervously, I wondered if I had a sign taped to my back that said 'New Girl'. I felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of sharks, and I was the bait dangling on a hook.

Their whispers followed me as I approached the massive oak doors, determined to ignore them. Just before I could push the doors open, they swung open to reveal a girl smiling up at me. My eyes widened in surprise. _How did she know I was there?_ I thought, unnerved. I looked her up and down, wondering who she was. She was small and pixie-like, with short blue hair that was held back from her face with a yellow bandana. She wore a short orange dress with black stockings and a pair of brown ankle boots. She looked harmless enough.

"Hi! I'm the sixth year class president!" she said cheerfully in a high, clear voice. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she held out her hand to me. "My name's Levy McGarden! Welcome to Fairy Academy!"

* * *

**Well, there's the first chapter! Tell me what you think in a review, and feel free to leave suggestions for future chapters! I only have a basic outline for the story, so if there are any scenes you want included, please tell me! :D Please follow and favorite, as well! Until next chapter, sayonara! **


	2. Chapter 2 - Sabertooth

A/N: So, as you could probably guess from the title of this chapter, Sabertooth gets introduced in this chapter! :D Fairy Tail will be introduced in the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter Two – Sabertooth

Levy directed me to the main office so that I could pick up my schedule. Now that I was walking next to Levy, not as many people were staring at me. And now that I thought of it, they had probably just been staring because I was so obviously alone and unsure of myself. Like sharks scenting fresh blood.

When we got to the office, I thanked the secretary, Mrs. Strauss, for giving me my schedule and a map of the campus. She gave me a piercing look over her glasses, and for a moment, I felt as though I were being frozen to stone.

"Thank you, Evergreen," Levy said pointedly, taking my elbow to guide me from the office. "I'll show her to her classes." The secretary just grunted and flicked her long brown hair over her shoulder.

Once we were free of the stifling atmosphere, I turned to Levy. "What was that? That feeling, when she looked at me…." I shuddered at the memory.

Levy sighed. "Mrs. Strauss is also the disciplinary master, and she doesn't generally like…new students." She gave me an apologetic look, and I just shrugged.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm used to people who don't…take kindly to me." Levy gave me a curious look, and I realized that I probably shouldn't have said so much. Not that I had any particular distrust of her, but…I just didn't want her to think any differently about me if I told her the truth about my family. After all, she was the only friend I had here. Most people, once they learned about me being the heiress to the largest company in Japan, either tried to cozy up to me, or they hated me out of jealousy, thinking that I thought myself to be above them.

In a quick effort to change the subject, I thrust my schedule in her face and said, "So, do we have any classes together?"

Levy took my schedule and peered at it. "Oh good! Your first class is the same as mine! History of Fiore, with Professor Strauss!"

"Professor Strauss?" I asked, panicking. Was it the same Strauss? She was already the secretary and Head of Discipline! What more could she be?!

Levy must have seen my panicked look, because she laughed and patted my arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, the Professor is super nice! He is Evergreen's husband, but they couldn't be more different. Where she is cold and egotistical, he is friendly and loyal. Although, he does have a tendency to say things he likes are 'man', which is kind of strange," she said thoughtfully, placing a finger against her chin. "It's just one of those things you have to get used to. I promise, you'll love him, though!"

I smiled reassuringly and nodded, though I still had a few doubts that refused to be driven away. After all, what kind of person would marry a woman like that? _Maybe there's some secret part of her that's actually kind…. _It must have been very deep down.

As we walked to History of Fiore, we discovered that we also shared second period math, third period anatomy, and seventh period humanities. Humanities, as it turned out, was taught by none other than another Strauss, Professor Strauss's older sister, Mirajane. _This is going to get really confusing, really fast._

* * *

By the end of seventh period, I was mentally exhausted. As it turns out, when you start school in the middle of the first semester, you get plunged right into the oceans of homework and tests. And I was drowning. Thankfully, Levy had leant me all her notes from the year so far, so I was able to get pretty caught up. Still, it would take a few more days for me to even begin to understand the material.

I sighed as the end-of-the-day bell rang, releasing the students from class. I hung back with Levy while she talked to Ms. Strauss (I refused to call both of them Professor) about something. Once I had all my materials packed back into my book bag, I waited by the door for her.

"Thank you, Ms. Strauss," Levy said as she turned to go.

"Anytime, Levy!" The white-haired woman said sweetly. She was the exact opposite of her brother, and sister-in-law, for that matter. Ten minutes in Professor Strauss's class, and I had been sweating from the awkwardness of his…exuberance. His methods of teaching included a lot of yelling and 'man'-ing. Mira couldn't be more different; she spoke kindly and patiently, with soft, sweet tones. She was the ideal mother-figure. Well, personality-wise. Physically, she looked like a model and appeared to be only in her early twenties. When I'd asked Levy why none of the guys seemed to be crushing on her, she had given me an amused look.

"Don't be fooled by her appearance," she had whispered sternly. "She's a real demon when people get on her bad side. None of the boys dare mess with her. Besides that, her fiancé looks like a mafia boss. Nobody wants to risk getting nailed because they dared to have a crush on her."

Ms. Strauss caught me staring, and cocked her head in question. "Lucy, is something the matter?"

I shook my head quickly, snapping to attention. "Oh, nothing, Ms. Strauss!" I said hastily.

She gave me a soft smile. "If you need any additional help with anything, just let me know. I'm sure Levy would be more than willing to help you, as well. She's an excellent tutor," she said fondly. I glanced over to see the spritely blunette blush and duck her head in embarrassment. Ms. Strauss laughed—a bright, bubbly sound that was somehow musical—and shooed us toward the door. "Go on, girls. Off you go. Nobody wants to be at school any longer than they must."

We smiled at her and waved as we strode from the room. I sighed in contentment. Despite all the homework and studying to do, I had a feeling that I was really going to like this school. I turned to face Levy to say something to her, but as I saw something past her shoulder, the words died in my mouth.

"Levy? What are those posters? I've been seeing them all around the school." I nodded at the poster in question. It was three by two, and showcased four people in visual kei clothes. There was a boy with pale blond hair and a scar through his right eyebrow, a boy with midnight black hair that covered one eye to expose one red eye, another boy with long blond hair and a mask over his eyes, and a girl with short silver hair. They were all very attractive, and had the glowing confidence of celebrities. The banner of words across their abdomens read 'Sabertooth'.

"Oh, that's the new promotional poster for Sabertooth. It's one of the bands here at Fairy Academy. There are two main bands; Sabertooth, and Fairy Tail. They're rivals, and right now they're both trying to outdo the other in popularity." Her words were neutral enough, but I could hear the thinly-veiled disgust in her voice as she discussed Sabertooth. I had to wonder why that was.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'one of the bands'? Is this school…known for its bands, or something? And what do you mean by bands? Surely not…actual, performing bands, right?"

Levy gave me a small smile. "That's exactly what I mean. We here at Fairy Academy have a history of producing Japan's top rock bands. If you've heard of bands like SuG, The Gazette, and Alice Nine, they all attended FA."

My jaw dropped. "They went…_here?!_ As in, this school? In which I am currently standing?" I couldn't believe it! I'd not only heard of them, I'd gone to their concerts! As recently as last month, I'd seen SuG perform at the Tokyo Dome. And now I was standing in the very building in which they had stood! Breathing the same scents they had breathed!

"Lucy, are you okay?" Levy's big hazel eyes peered at me in concern as she waved a hand in front of my face. I snapped back to reality and realized that I'd been giggling madly and flapping my hands in the air in excitement.

"Uh, yes, thank you." I cleared my throat and smoothed my skirt down, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Would she think I was a freak now?

But then Levy started giggling a little, and my eyes widened as I turned to face her. "I'm sorry," she said in between giggles, "you're just too cute, Lu-chan! I didn't know that you were such a fan!"

I joined her in laughing, and we walked out to the front of the school arm in arm. We parted ways when she had to go catch her bus, and I stood out front waiting awkwardly for Capricorn. For several minutes, I just stood there and tried to ignore everyone else and refrain from checking my phone for the time every two seconds. After about five minutes, I felt someone come up behind me.

"Hey, you new here?"

I turned to see a girl about my age, with silver hair cut in a pixie cut. A dark blue rose was pinned on the right side of her head. She wore a black miniskirt and a white sleeveless button-up shirt. The shirt looked like a dress shirt with the sleeves cut off, but without all the ragged strings. As I looked down, I saw that she wore detached leg coverings that flared out over her black platform boots. Black suspenders held them up and disappeared beneath the pleated folds of her skirt. My gaze returned to her face, and I realized that I was looking at the same girl from the Sabertooth poster.

I gasped as the recognition struck me. "Are you…the girl from that band, Sabertooth? I saw you on the poster!"

She frowned in mild irritation. "Yes, my name is Yukino. Yukino Aguria. And please, don't start treating me like some celebrity without even getting to know me."

"Sorry," I said, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "Um, hi. My name's Lucy. I'm a sixth year."

Yukino chuckled. "Lucy, eh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lucy. I'm also a sixth year." There was a slight teasing tone to her voice, but not the malicious kind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I repeated formally, bowing to her. She bowed in response, and came to stand beside me.

"So, we're in humanities together, apparently."

I looked over at her in surprise. "Really? I didn't see you there…."

She snorted in amusement. "Of course not. I wasn't in class. None of us musicians were. There's a performance tonight, and we had to prepare for it."

"Oh. Won't the teachers be mad? And what about the headmaster?" I asked in concern.

"They don't mind. In fact, they encourage us to do everything we can to do our best for our performances. And Headmaster Makarov is a regular at our concerts, so of course he doesn't mind. You might not know this, but this school is actually very focused on helping to produce the biggest bands in Japan. It has a reputation to maintain, since so many big names have come through it."

I perked up at the reminder. "That's right! Levy told me about that. Many of my favorite bands apparently went here!"

"Ah, class pres," she said thoughtfully. "She's a really talented pianist. I don't know why she never joined a band. Keyboardists are always in high demand."

I smiled tensely. _They are, huh? I'm not sure I want to actually be involved with all this band stuff…best not to tell her just yet that I play._ "So what do you play, then?" I asked, nudging her with my elbow.

She smiled lazily and stretched her arms over her head. "Guitar. My mate Rogue is also a guitarist as well as a background vocalist, Rufus is the drummer, and Sting is the lead singer."

Those must be the other guys from the poster. I had no idea who was who, but I nodded anyways.

"Say," she said slowly, narrowing her eyes as she turned to face me. "You wanna come to the concert tonight? I have a spare ticket." She brandished the said ticket in front of my face like a piece of candy one would use to taunt a child. Apparently it had the same effect, because my eyes brightened and I reached for the glossy strip of paper eagerly.

"Sure! I'd love to!" I beamed up at Yukino, and she smiled in return.

"Great! It's at the White Hall on Sakura Street." She leaned in closer then, and cupped her hands dramatically around her mouth. "As a special favor, I'll tell our manager to let you backstage after the concert, if you'd like to meet the gang."

I clasped her hands in my own and brought them up between our chests. "Oh my gosh, thank you, Yukino! I would love to!"

Just then, I heard the familiar purr of the Camaro pulling up to the curb. Capricorn got out and opened the back door for me, and Yukino stared at him with her brown eyes narrowed in scrutiny. Before any more people could start wondering why I had a personal chauffeur with an expensive car, I gave Yukino a quick wave and darted into the back seat. "See ya later!" I called out the window as Capricorn drove away. She waved back at me and sashayed over to a black limousine that had just pulled up where the Camaro had been.

Even though Capricorn didn't say anything, I could sense how pleased he was that I had made friends already. And the fact that Yukino was clearly rich would most likely improve my father's opinion of the school, if he even cared enough to question Capricorn about it later. _No. I will not allow him to ruin my good day._ Determined to put him from my mind, I lifted my chin and watched the buildings whip by out the window.

When I adjusted my book bag on the seat beside me, the ticket fell out and floated to the floor of the car. I looked down at it for a moment before reaching out to pick it up. I smoothed it out on my lap and then held it up to examine it. On one side of its glossy surface, I could see a small picture of Sabertooth. On the other side was another band that I didn't recognize. There were three boys and one girl, all of them perfectly sculpted, like models straight from a magazine. My gaze snagged on one person in particular. The boy in the center had spiky pink hair and piercing black eyes. I was sure I had never seen him before, but something about him made me feel…like there was a connection. Like I _had_ seen him before.

Shaking my head to clear the strange thoughts, I turned my attention to the information printed across the center section of the ticket. It boldly proclaimed the title of the concert at the top—Fire and Ice—and the details beneath. The concert started at eight, so I decided that I should get there around seven to ensure good seating. Next, it listed the location, and beneath that, the names of the bands that would be performing. Sabertooth was listed, of course, as was another band that I hadn't heard of. However, right next to Sabertooth, I saw another band name that I _had _heard.

_Fairy Tail._ According to Levy, they also attended Fairy Academy. And they were Sabertooth's rival. _This will be a very interesting concert._

* * *

**So now we know that Yukino is cool! :) Will the rest of Sabertooth be as friendly? Read the next chapter to find out! **

**Just so you all know, all the bands (except for Sabertooth and Fairy Tail, obviously) mentioned are real bands (and they are awesome! Go look them up! SuG actually did the fourth opening for the FT anime). **

**And just in case you were confused by the fact that they're in both Fiore _and_ Japan, I'm pretending that there is a province called Fiore in Japan. And that is where they live. **

**Please leave a review, guys! I'd like to know what you think of this story. And don't forget to follow and favorite! **


	3. Chapter 3 - Fire and Ice

A/N: Aaaaand I would first like to start out by saying thank you to **GingerificFabulousTime**, **Shonnyterra**, **animebunny23**, **ElodieKumari94**, **GingerificFabulousTime**, **Onedirectioninfection64**, **Shonnyterra**, **The fairy elf**, **animebunny23**, **fairyhearts,** **xxFall3n-Ang3lxx** and **dreamscometrue410 **for following, favoriting, reviewing, or any combination of the three. :) You guys make my day! If you guys have nothing better to do, you should check out my other FT story, Fate's Hands. *nudge nudge* Or my yaoi one-shot, The Happy Yaoi Slide of Love. :3 Anyways, thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this! Reviews are appreciated, just keep them polite. :)

* * *

Chapter 3 – Fire and Ice

I spun around in front of the mirror to examine the black minidress I'd picked out for the concert tonight. It was a halter, with a corset-like abdomen that made it look kind of like it was a halter vest over a black miniskirt. The plunging neckline exposed the full curve of my voluptuous breasts, and I couldn't help but admire them. And as I refused to ever take my locket off (except for when I was in the shower), its golden finish glistened against my breasts. I brushed my hair in front of my shoulders with my hands. I'd tied two black ribbons into the blonde locks on either side of my head, and they matched my black dress exquisitely. Black nylon stockings up to my mid-thighs completed the ensemble, with a pair of strappy black stilettos.

"Nice outfit," Aquarius commented as she pushed my door open. I looked away from my reflection in surprise. The blue-haired maid had a smug look on her face as she crossed my room to rummage through my vanity.

"Thanks," I said, spinning around again. The short, pleated skirt of the dress fared around my hips as I spun.

"Now all we need to do is your makeup…" she said with a wicked grin.

My mouth fell open. "Makeup?"

"If you're going out looking that sexy, there's no way I'm gonna let any mistress of mine forgo makeup!"

I grinned affectionately at her as I sauntered over to the vanity and took a seat in the pink-cushioned seat Aquarius pulled out for me.

"Now, just sit still and relax your face," she said strictly, whipping out a kabuki brush.

Fifteen minutes later, a very pleased Aquarius stepped back to admire her handiwork. I gaped in awe at the masterpiece my face had become. My already flawless complexion was enhanced by a dusky pink rouge across my cheekbones, and my smoky eyeshadow made my soft brown eyes seem sultry and flirtatious. My browbones were dusted with a glittery gold powder that leant me an ethereal air. The same gold dust was brushed across my cheeks and between my eyebrows, so that I was veritably glowing under the lights. My upper eyelid was lined with black eyeliner that winged out on the outer corners of my eyes, and my eyelashes were so coated in mascara that I could've sworn my eyelids were heavier. Devil red lipstick completed the look, with a coat of red lipgloss overtop to add an extra sheen.

"Wow," was all I could say, transfixed by the punk goddess staring back at me in the mirror.

"Hmph. I'm not an expert with boys for nothing," she said proudly. "Maybe if you dress like this more often, you'll have some boy luck of your own."

"Hey now!" But her tone was so contemplative that I just couldn't find it within myself to be angry. And I couldn't deny that her makeup application skills were amazing.

"Say," she said a little too casually, "what is all this dolling up for, anyway?" I should've known she would dig. Aquarius was definitely the gossip lover of the estate. Oh well. It couldn't hurt to tell her, could it?

"I got invited to a concert by a friend. Her band is performing, and she gave me a free VIP ticket."

"Ooh!" Aquarius perked up, sliding closer to me with a sly look on her face. "Anyone I might know?"

I laughed and shoved her shoulder playfully. "I don't think so; they're new, I believe."

"Aw," she pouted. Then she swatted my butt and shooed me toward the door. "Well, go on, don't be late! You have to get a good seat and get autographs for when they become a superband." With a wink, she handed me my cute, sleek black Prada purse. "Now go have fun! Capricorn should be waiting for you, since I told him you were going out tonight. He can act as your personal chauffeur tonight."

I smiled gratefully and slung the purse over my shoulder before dashing from the room. I slowed down to take the stairs carefully, since I was wearing stilettos. Sure enough, when Virgo held the door open for me, I saw Capricorn standing at attention beside the Camaro. He held the door for me as I climbed into the back seat, and then we were off.

* * *

The White Hall was anything but. The outside was a mix of red brick and plaster, styled like old gothic architecture. Sakura trees surrounded it, their sweeping branches bare at the moment. Dark vines crept up the sides of the building, making it look older than it really was. A neon sign on the front of the building proclaimed it to be the White Hall, though the 'h' in White was starting to flicker. A hand-painted sign at the entrance listed the events tonight. My eyes sought out the Fire and Ice concert, and I felt my stomach clench in anticipation.

It took a lot of begging and coercion, but eventually, I convinced Capricorn to return for me at eleven to pick me up. I didn't need a chaperone, and I certainly didn't want to attract unnecessary attention to myself while I was trying to have a good time.

And so I walked up to the front door by myself, one hand hanging easily from the strap of my purse. The guard at the front looked me over as I approached, and I thought smugly to myself that Aquarius would be proud. As I passed by, I flashed him my ticket, and he waved me through the scuffed metal doors. A blast of cool air hit me, and for a moment I wished I had brought something more than my skimpy dress. But then I realized that I would have no trouble keeping warm; looking around in the foyer, I noticed that at least fifty other people were all standing around chatting and purchasing fans with the bands' members' faces on them.

I paused for a moment to deliberate on whether or not I should buy one for Sabertooth. After a moment, I decided not to. Nothing screamed 'desperate' more than waving a fan with somebody's face on it. Besides, I hadn't even heard them perform before. Briefly, I wondered why so many fans were already gathering. Were they really that popular already? I studied the faces around me, and noticed that the vast majority of them seemed to be kids from my new school. And there was an overwhelming majority of girls.

Once I'd decided to forgo a fan, I made my way through the thickening crowd to the door that I presumed led to the auditorium. I could hear pre-concert music drifting from the open doorway, and the room beyond was much darker than the brightly-lit reception hall. Glowsticks were already being busted out. When I got to the door, the person there took my ticket and ripped it in half, handing me half back. I looked down and saw that it was the half with the picture of the other band, Fairy Tail. Once again, the pink-haired boy drew my attention. With an angry jerk of my head, I stormed through the door to go find a good seat. However, all the seats closest to the stage were already occupied, so that either left the seats far away from the stage, or the open floor in front of the stage. That was mostly full too, but at least I would be able to squeeze my way closer to the stage. And after a lot of shoving, apologies, and stepping on toes, I managed to push my way through to the very front of the crowd. I stood there in appreciation for a moment, but then I had to use my elbows as weapons to keep the horde of teenage girls back.

After about forty minutes, the auditorium darkened further, only a few dim lights interspersed on the walls to stave off the darkness. The crowd quieted in breathless anticipation, and then, with a bang, the show began. The first band up was the one I hadn't heard of. They were all males, but they looked older, like in their mid-twenties. While the fans around me were plenty enthusiastic, I could tell that this wasn't the main event everyone had come to see.

After the first band—called Quatro Cerberus—had finished, everyone started shifting in excitement, and murmurs swept the crowd. I looked up at the stage in anticipation.

Fireworks shot into the air from the back of the stage, illuminating the new band that had taken the stage. The first person to be illuminated was the drummer, a man with a feathered hat. After that, the lights swept over the rest of the band. I screamed with excitement along with everyone else when I saw Yukino standing with her guitar. The other two were the blond and black-haired boys from the poster. They were even better-looking in person.

Sabertooth started right in with their song, Yukino playing a short solo on her guitar before the black-haired guitarist and the drummer joined in for a heavy, rhythmic pulse. The crowd screamed as they played, until the singer put his mouth up to the microphone to begin singing.

"Pig is that soaked in soup of crime…Is it the pain of the children whom you murdered? Hate yourself!" His rich, deep voice floated out over the audience, and I looked up at him with renewed interest. His blond hair was stylishly spiked, and he wore a dark gray spandex stomach shirt that was plastered to his muscular chest. He had on a white vest over that with a fur-lined collar and baggy white bondage pants with chains crossing behind his legs. Two dark blue gloves extended up to his biceps, where white ribbons fastened them and dangled from his arms.

_Not bad,_ I thought as he planted his black combat-booted foot on the long box at the front of the stage. He leaned forward and pressed the microphone seductively close to his lips, and the fangirls went wild. A dangly silver earring glittered in his left ear as he cocked his head to the side.

"The picture in which the truth coils up below…the rubble is the deepest of all…the facial inexpressiveness…in which isolation, hatred, jealousy, anxiety and nothingness bloom is the heaviest of all." His low, sultry voice caressed me as he stood up completely on the box and walked down its length, bringing him closer to me. He came to a stop and thrust his hips forward to lean back. Slowly, he ran his hand down from his chest over his well-defined six-pack, until it came to a stop at the top of his pants. His pinky finger dipped a little bit inside the waistband, and the screams grew louder in my ears.

After a few more lines, he jumped off the box and made his way over to the male guitarist while singing, "…In the maze without an end... Drowning in our faults in the maze without an end...Why do you still breathe?"

As he sang, the black-haired guitarist tilted his head up and screamed, "Hate yourself!" in the background during the pauses in the singer's song. I recalled that Yukino had mentioned their names then. Rogue was the other guitarist, and…Sting, was it?...was the singer. Rogue's voice was velvety and husky, and blended nicely with Sting's. Rogue's clothes also complimented Sting's. Where Sting was white, Rogue was dark. He wore a long black leather coat without sleeves, the collar standing straight up around his neck. His black skinny jeans were ripped and hung with chains from his belt. Above the silver buckle of his belt, a triangle of pale skin was revealed from the black dress shirt he wore. The bottom few buttons were undone, as were the top few. It gave a tantalizing glimpse of the toned muscles beneath, and I could suddenly understand why everyone liked Sabertooth so much.

Then, as I watched, Sting moved up behind Rogue and cupped the side of his head with one hand while the other snaked around to press flat against his abs. In a pause in the singing, Sting pressed his lips against the side of Rogue's neck, trailing a line of hot kisses up to his jaw. Rogue arched his neck back to allow more access, and Sting's hand dipped lower to rest against the triangle of exposed skin above Rogue's pants. Rogue's eyes slipped shut as he reached his left hand back to press against the back of Sting's neck. Deafening shrieks arose as Sting slid his fingers beneath the unbuttoned flap of Rogue's black dress shirt until his whole hand was beneath Rogue's shirt. Sting's hand traveled further up, caressing Rogue's abs as he flicked his tongue out to lick Rogue's jaw line. _If only he wasn't wearing those darned gloves,_ I thought to myself, along with probably every other girl in the audience.

Oh yes, I could definitely see how they were so popular. Fanservice with two hot guys equals happy fangirls.

Sting pulled away and continued singing, strutting over to the other side of the stage. There, he wrapped an arm around Yukino's waist and pulled her closer. She was wearing the same style of leg coverings that she'd had on before (this time in white), but now she had a silver, sequined miniskirt with a silver bikini top. The lack of a shirt revealed a white tattoo on her left lower abdomen, just above the waistline of her skirt. It looked like a tiger's head; the same design was displayed in black on the screen behind the performers against a red background. There was a black box on the other side of Yukino, and Sting now propped his leg closest to it up, so that his right leg (the one resting on the box) was bent and his hips were in line with Yukino's. They looked so comfortable that I had to wonder if they were an item.

After several more numbers, darkness descended on the stage and Sabertooth moved backstage. The break-time advertisements came on again, and I thought excitedly about when I would be able to go back-stage to congratulate Yukino and the band. They were really good, and their music was super catchy. Besides, I was dying to meet the guys. I wondered how Yukino could stand it, being surrounded by so many hot guys all the time. _Their relationships must be pretty good, for them to be so comfortable with the fanservice…especially that Rogue. I wonder how long they've been together?_

Not long after, I felt the atmosphere thicken with anticipation again. The final band of the concert was coming out—Fairy Tail.

Their performance started with simultaneous blasts of flame along the back of the stage, and the guitarists started rocking out on their guitars. My eyes widened as I took in the two guitarists, both male. The first had ragged black hair and dark blue eyes, and he wore a black vest with metal studs running in rows down the front and along the lapels. A plain black tank top was beneath the vest, which was buttoned halfway up. On both of his arms, just above his elbows, he wore thick black leather bands tied around his arms. He had a thick black strap around his right wrist, as well. His baggy black pants had layers of chains hanging from the belt, along with a row of large silver buttons running down the outsides of his legs. I could just see the tips of black Vans peeking out from the bottoms of his pants.

In a word, he was sexy. Especially as he coaxed deliciously dark chords from the dark blue guitar and banged his head in time with the beat.

The other guitarist was a boy with dirty blond hair that was every bit as spiky as the first guitarist's. His hazel eyes were smirking as he harmonized his guitar with the other, and I couldn't help but secretly wish that this band would also have fanservice…. _Anyways._ I cleared my throat and studied his appearance further. He seemed to have a slightly different style; he wore a black suit jacket with a white dress shirt beneath, though it was only half-buttoned. His chiseled chest was exposed, his muscles rippling as he played. Two silver chains hung from his black dress pants, and he wore black dress shoes beneath them.

My eyes roved to the drummer as the drum picked out a heavy beat. A beautiful woman with long, bright red hair pulled back in a high ponytail banged away on the drums, the two strands of hair framing her face flying back and forth as she banged her head in time with the beat she pounded out. As she was seated behind the drum set, I could only see her top; a black bra with white diamonds on the right breast and red lettering on the left. Only a cropped black vest that was hanging open covered the bra, though covered was a relative term; her well-defined breasts were still very much popping out. As she lifted her arms to crash the drumsticks against the cymbals, I saw a dark blue tattoo on her left bicep. From this distance, I couldn't make out the design, though I suspected that like Yukino's, it was a band symbol. Sure enough, when the flames stopped spewing, I saw that the background had changed; an ice blue symbol now hung on a black backdrop.

"Drowning in a red sea, feeling burned because I keep searching to reach you. Tomorrow will always be another day…." As the low, seductive voice flowed over the audience, I turned my gaze to the singer. He had long, spiky pink hair that stuck out in every which direction, and as he gripped the microphone stand, I could see his muscles rippling. He wore an open black vest with metal studs and zippers decorating it, and soft-looking white pants with black lettering down one side and artful black paint splatters on the other. Several chains hung from one of his two thick black belts, as well. He also had black Vans and a black, buckle-like strap around his right arm. And above that, a red tattoo adorned his right shoulder, matching the one on the screen behind them.

I felt my face flush with warmth as I took in his slender but muscular physique; his thin black tank top did little to conceal his gloriously defined abs and pecs. Slowly, my gaze drifted upward, towards his angular face. Black eyes like twin droplets of night were slanted straight at me, piercing me like a dagger. I stumbled backwards as my hand went to my throat; I had felt that stare before. Earlier that very day, in fact. At the café that morning.

The lead singer of Fairy Tail had been the one in the hoodie, the one who had seen far more than he should have. And now, it appeared, he had recognized me.

_Well, if Sabertooth was the Fire, it looks like I've found the Ice_ **(A/N: Ah, the irony!)**_._

* * *

**Hope you guys all enjoyed the chapter! Tell me what you think of Sabertooth. ;) In the next chapter we'll get to see Fairy Tail's fanservice. ;D Any requests? **

**Disclaimer: All the songs sung by the bands are real songs. I take no credit for the lyrics. The song sung by Sabertooth is The Invisible Wall by The Gazette, and the song sung by Fairy Tail in this chapter is Duality by Screw. If you want to go check those songs out, they are very good songs. :) With plenty of sexy men. ;D **

**Anyways, thank you to anyone who reads this! Please leave a review, follow and favorite! :D**


	4. Chapter 4 - Fairy Tail

A/N: Hello again! :D I am impressed with how fast I've been updating this story. Don't expect it to last, but if it does, then great! :D Anyways, I'd like to thank **Fate Suta, valkyrie510, GoldenRoseTanya, Shonnyterra, ElodieKumari94** and **dreamscometrue410** for following, favoriting and/or reviewing on the last chapter! :D Thanks guys! :D Your support means the world to me! ^.^ I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 4 – Fairy Tail

As Fairy Tail started another song, I could only stand there transfixed by the feeling of connection I felt from the lead singer. From all of them, really. It was so strange…like my soul recognized them on a level that I wasn't aware of. The bright, hopeful tone of their song washed over me with such emotion that I found myself wanting to know where the inspiration had come from.

"Grip the tomorrow that's full of shine with the will of cobbling it together! There's no space for giving up…" he sang, striding over to the front of the stage to crouch down at the edge. All the girls reached up to try to touch his hand as he held it down, clutching at it and stroking his arm. I was struck by the messages from both of their songs, even though the tone of this song was much brighter. It was…exhilarating.

Behind the singer, the two guitarists were playing madly on their guitars, back-to-back. The black-haired one leaned his head back to rest against the blond one's head, and they turned their faces towards the audience so that they were cheek-to-cheek. With a small smirk, the black-haired one tilted his head so that their lips were almost brushing. The blond guitarist stuck his tongue out to playfully catch the other man on the corner of his mouth, and the screaming fangirls nearly had an aneurysm.

That was nothing compared to the reaction when the song finished and the black-haired guitarist released his guitar to shuck his vest and peel off his tank top. I thought I was going to go deaf, but I didn't mind. I was too busy staring unabashedly at his very well-defined abs and chest. And the dark blue band symbol that was tattooed on his right pectoral. To the excitement of every girl in the audience, he crossed to the front of the stage and tossed first his tank top, and then his vest into the audience. All the girls clamored and clawed to be in a position to catch the sweaty garments, and I was jostled along with them.

"Kyahh!" I screamed, nearly being trampled to death. I flung my arms up to try to find some balance…and felt something soft land on my hand. Everyone around me ground to a halt as we all looked up at my raised arm. The guitarist's black vest was dangling from my hand, heavier than I'd expected. I guess all the metal studs made it heavier than it looked. I didn't have time to think anything else before a stampede of screaming teenage girls rushed me to get to the still-raised vest. I shrieked and tucked it against my chest, curling in on myself to keep from being clawed to pieces.

_What the heck? Why didn't I just chuck it somewhere else?!_ I thought in a panicked mind-shriek. _Now they're after me!_

Thankfully, when the next song started, the mob's attention was reluctantly redirected, and I was able to relax. I chanced a glance back up at the stage and saw the guitarist smirking at me in amusement. I leveled a glare at him and was sorely tempted to through his vest down on the ground and smoosh it in with my foot. And then spit on it for good measure. But then I thought that the fangirls would probably kill me for sure. I know I would if someone threw one of the members of The Gazette's shirts on the ground.

Up on the stage, I saw that the lead singer took the opportunity of the guitarist being up front to slide his hand down his bare chest and press a kiss to his cheek, right next to his mouth. The black-haired man continued playing his guitar and smirked again, turning to kiss the singer on the side of his neck. The singer grinned roguishly and spun away to begin singing. On the other end of the stage, the two guitarists met at one of the boxes placed across the stage and propped one of their feet up. They turned so that they were facing each other, their guitars nearly touching. And since they were bending their knees and thrusting their hips slightly forward in time with the beat, it looked rather seductive. No complaints here. Or anywhere, really. Especially not when the blond one angled his guitar towards the black-haired one so that he could lick the neck of the guitar. His pink tongue traveled slowly and seductively up the side of the neck until he reached the nuts at the base of the head **(A/N: Yes, that is a real part of a guitar :P)**. The blond one grinned with his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as the other guitarist pulled away from his guitar.

It seemed that the concert ended all too soon. I was still reeling from the moment of connection I'd had with the lead singer of Fairy Tail. As I made my way from the auditorium with everyone else (still mysteriously clutching the guitarist's vest), I remembered Yukino's offer to let me backstage. _Maybe I'll get to see Fairy Tail, too._ As soon as I realized that I'd thought that, a flush rose in my cheeks. _How can I already be cheating on Sabertooth? But I suppose I really have no obligations to them, either…after all, I just came to support a friend. It's not like I've tied my soul to them or anything._ With that thought to fortify me, I strode through the doors and walked around until I saw an imperious woman in a business suit standing beside a door that said _Backstage_. Well then. Mission success.

I made my way through the throng until I was close enough to the door for the woman to spot me. She turned her piercing black eyes on me, and I felt my skin begin to crawl. Her inky black hair was partially pulled up into two small buns on either side of her head, with two shorter chunks of hair framing her face to fall a little ways past her shoulders. The rest of her hair hung loose down her back, except for two braids woven into the sides of her hair. She looked exotic, but deadly.

As I approached, I half-expected her to slide a knife between my ribs. She just gave off that kind of air. However, she waited in stillness and silence until I stood before her and sucked in a breath to speak. "Excuse me, are you Sabertooth's manager? Yukino-san told me that I could go backstage to meet her?" The second part came out like a question, and I internally cringed at how pitiful I sounded.

Her stony expression didn't change as she regarded me with cold eyes. "I am. Yes, Yukino informed me that I was to escort you to their dressing room." Her voice held no emotion, but that was somehow even scarier than if she'd been screaming at me. "Follow me." Without waiting for a response, she turned and slipped through the door. I hurried to follow her and made sure to close the door completely behind me; it wouldn't do for just any old fan to come wandering in.

It was a short walk through the dim corridor until we reached another door, marked _Caution: Backstage is For Performers and Authorized Personnel Only_. The woman didn't hesitate to push the door out of her way and stride through like she owned the place. I followed her again, somewhat timidly.

After wading through crates of clothes and who knew what else, we came to yet another door. Scrawled across a piece of cardboard taped to the door was the word 'Sabertooth'. The manager knocked three times on the door before shoving it open. I heard voices from within as I approached, hesitant to follow the manager in.

"Ah, Minerva," I heard Yukino say, "have you brought our special guest?"

"I have."

Taking that as my cue, I stepped through the doorway and into the brightly-lit dressing room. It was smaller than I'd expected for a band dressing room, and considerably more crowded. More boxes were strewn haphazardly through the room, clothes piled in and on top of them, as well as on several hastily-constructed racks placed against the walls. Several vanity tables lined the walls, their mirrors coated in a fine layer of dust and flecks of dried makeup. Every variety of makeup I could imagine was spread across the tables, and colorful powder dusted the surfaces.

"Hey, Lucy!" Yukino drawled, coming over to enfold me in a giant hug. She smelled of sweat, perfume and ten pounds of makeup. "So glad you could make it!"

"Yukino! You guys were amazing!" I exclaimed, pulling away but leaving our fingers threaded between us. She smiled broadly at me, gesturing over her shoulder with her head.

"Thanks. These are my mates, Sting—" the blond singer nodded at me with a disinterested air—"Rogue—" the black-haired bass guitarist jerked his head in greeting, a smirk on his face—"and Rufus—" the drummer with long blond hair swept his broad, feathered hat off his head in a gallant bow. I thought him to be the most decent out of the boys, until he straightened and I saw the mocking grin on his face. I had to fight the urge to curl my lip in disgust. _This is almost certainly the reason for Levy's distaste._

"Charmed," I replied dryly, making sure to convey all my sarcasm in the single word.

Sting raked a hand through his hair and took a step closer, a leering grin on his handsome face. "And who might you be, little girl? A friend of Yuki's?"

I bristled at his tone, and Yukino shot him an irritated glare over her shoulder. "Sting, behave yourself," she snapped at him. He just rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets.

"And actually, I am," I retorted haughtily, as if Yukino hadn't spoken. "I happen to be new to Fairy Academy. I'm so proud to know that it has such successful alumni."

Sting's eyes narrowed dangerously as he caught the meaning in my words; the successful _alumni_, not the current students such as himself. To my surprise, Yukino actually smirked at my words and moved away to punch Sting in the shoulder.

"Told you she has some bite."

He leveled a disdainful glare at her, and Rogue moved forward to put his arm around her shoulders with a warning in his eyes directed at Sting. Rufus rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "Ladies, spare me the drama."

I did my best to give them an over-the-top bright smile. "Well, it was such a pleasure to meet you, but I should probably be off now."

Sting gave me his customary smirk as I backed toward the door, moving past the manager—Minerva?—who was still stationed silently by the door. Briefly, I wondered why she hadn't stepped in to control her charges. Yukino shot me an apologetic smile as she wrapped her own arm around Rogue's waist. _Are they an item?_

"See you around, Lucy!" she called as I pulled the door open.

"Yeah, see you, Yukino!" I replied with genuine affection as I stepped through the doorway. It would appear that she was the sole speck of humanity and kindness in the band.

As I shut the door softly behind me and turned to make my way back to the exit, I ran right into something hard. With a soft squeak, I bounced off of the solid obstruction and proceeded to catch my heel on a crack in the cement floor. Before I could fall on my back, a pair of strong arms reached out and caught me, reeling me into a very well-muscled chest. It had all happened so fast that all I could do was stand there motionlessly, my cheek pressed against a hard chest and my eyes nearly bugging out of my head.

"What do we have here?" a familiar, deep voice said in a faintly amused tone. I shivered, recognizing the rich, silky cadences of his voice even when he wasn't singing. I'd literally just run into the lead singer of Fairy Tail.

"I'm sorry!" I rushed to apologize, pulling away from his arms and bowing. For some reason, my face was burning up. _I must be coming down with something._ "My fault for not watching where I was going." I bowed again and tried to slip past without raising my eyes to his, but he stopped me with a hand on my wrist. I looked down at his long, slender but masculine fingers wrapped around my slender wrist. After a tense moment, I finally dared to sneak a glance at him through my lashes.

He was studying me with an unreadable expression on his face. From this distance, I was struck by how young he looked. Even though I had known he went to my school, I had somehow thought he was older. But of course it would make sense that he was my age. For some reason, the thought made me even more nervous. I resisted the urge to play with my hair, the hem of my skirt, anything. So instead, I focused on studying his face. I could now see that his eyes were lined with black eyeliner, and he wore shadowy eyeshadow that made his eyes look darker and deeper. The liner was starting to smudge, most likely from all the sweat he'd worked up onstage. Even now, I could smell the sharp tang of sweat clinging to him. And yet, it didn't smell bad. _He's probably one of those boys with the natural ability to smell delicious no matter what they do. I hate guys like that,_ I grumbled to myself. Okay, so maybe I was just a tad jealous. But no more.

Finally, after a long moment of silently assessing each other, he said, "Who are you?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," I said, bristling instinctively. "I didn't sneak in, if that's what you were wondering."

A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth, and he released my arm to rake his fingers through his messy pink hair. "I didn't mean it that way. Don't worry, I heard the Sabertooth girl telling her mates about you before the performance. I take it you just met with their royal prick-nesses?"

My eyes widened at his jibe, but I couldn't keep the snort of amusement from escaping. That apparently said all he needed to know. "What's your name?"

I was almost taken aback by the easy way in which he asked. "Lucy," I said after just a slight hesitation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending his hand. I took it and immediately enjoyed the firm warmth of his handshake. "I'm Natsu, Fairy Tail's leader."

A small smile curled my lips as we released each other's hands. "Natsu. Likewise a pleasure. I really enjoyed your performance tonight." _Oh great, if that didn't reek of desperation and lameness, I don't know what does. _

However, instead of taking advantage to mock me or lord his status over me, he grinned impishly and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Really?"

"Really. You guys were amazing. Totally professional-sounding. Your songs were super catchy, too."

His grin widened as his whole face lit up. "That's great! We've been messing around with new tunes, and wondered if we'd have anything concert-worthy after all. That's such a relief to hear."

I cocked my head and studied him curiously. He had seemed so sure of himself onstage. They all had. Was that their true personality, or was this slightly shy and worried side? Before I had a chance to see anything further, he was back to being relaxed and nonchalant. A lazy grin curled his lips, all traces of his admission of the prior minute gone.

"Hey, do you go to Fairy?"

"What?" I asked, momentarily caught off guard by the question.

"Fairy Academy. Are you a student? I've never seen you around, but you look too young to be a college student." He shrugged, as if this line of questioning was the most normal in the world. Which I guessed it might have been, at least for the students of FA. Seriously, what was it with them and new students?

"Yes," I replied, not quite sure where this was headed, if anywhere at all. "But today was my first day. I'm a sixth year," I added as an afterthought.

He nodded thoughtfully. "Nice. You'll love it, trust me." Natsu flashed me a debonair grin, exposing overly sharp canines. "It may take a little getting used to, but it'll grow on you before you're even aware it started to happen."

I gave a skeptical laugh, but softened it with a genuine smile. "Thanks. I hope so."

Natsu bounced on the balls of his feet for a moment, his hands still in his pockets. "Maybe we'll see each other around then. Or even have classes together. The gang and I are all sixth years, too." He smiled easily, and I couldn't help but respond with a smile of my own. "Anyways," he continued, "I should probably be getting back to the gang. They'll start spreading nasty rumors about my bathroom habits if I take much longer. See ya around, Lucy." With a salute of a wave, he turned and ambled off down the hall.

Dazed, I watched him go as I rubbed my arms. And felt something soft cradled in the crook of my arm. "Wait!" I called, jogging to catch up. He turned with a quizzical expression, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. By way of explanation, I thrust the black vest toward him. "Take this back to your friend. I didn't mean to catch it, anyways. He might as well have it back."

After a long moment, during which Natsu just stared at me incredulously, he began laughing. The deep, throaty peels bounced off the cement walls with genuine amusement. "Oh, Gray will love that," he snorted. "Might as well keep it; he would probably lose it within the next ten minutes, anyways." Before I had a chance to say anything else, he had turned again and melted around a corner, still chuckling to himself with his hands linked behind his spiky head. I didn't know whether to be amused, irritated, or just plain confused. So I settled for all three.

As I slowly turned away and made my way back through the halls to the exit, I stared down at the black vest in my hands. The multitude of silver studs and chains caught the light every time I moved it, throwing off little sparks of light as I walked. I sighed. _Stupid Natsu. What am I supposed to do with a man's vest? Oh gosh, Aquarius is going to have a field day with this. _

I pushed open the door leading out into the main reception hall, which was now dark and deserted. _Well, I suppose I could always wait until they become famous, and then sell it…._

* * *

**If I had Gray's shirt in my possession, I would treasure it forever. And then some. ^.^ **

**The song in this chapter was Life2Die by SuG. Great song! Brighter than the songs in the previous chapter, if you found them a bit too dark for your tastes. **

**So what do you all think of this Natsu? Like? Dislike? And how about that Sabertooth, man! Douche canoes, I tell you. Well, mainly Sting, but the others are all kind of cold to strangers. **

**Anyways, please leave a review to tell me what you think! And don't forget to favorite and follow! :D Love you guys! The next update should be up in a few days. **


	5. Chapter 5 - Meeting the Band

A/N: Big thank you to **ElodieKumari94, Shonnyterra, tangledcharm, KAMeroid23, inazumadraco, bLaCkfAiRy19, **and** Scarletfairy5000** for reviewing, favoriting or following! :D It always makes my day to see new reviews! :D And favorites/follows. :3 Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It's kind of a transitional chapter between interesting chapters, sorry. o.O The next chapter will be better!

* * *

Chapter 5 – Meeting the Band

As I walked into first period the next day, I couldn't help the fluttering in my stomach as I furtively looked around for the members of Fairy Tail. Surely they would be in school today. However, as the bell rang and Mr. Strauss began to call attendance, they still hadn't appeared. Maybe they just weren't in any of my classes….

"Natsu Dragneel," Mr. Strauss called out. _Natsu…that must be the Natsu from last night! So he is in this class._ When, after a moment, there was no response, Mr. Strauss looked up from his computer. "Of course not. There was a concert last night, wasn't there?"

All the girls immediately began tittering. Except for Levy and myself. I turned to face her, ready to confess that I had actually gone to the concert. She met my eyes with an exasperated look.

"They're never here on days surrounding their concert dates," she said wryly, by way of explanation. "And all the teachers don't give a care." She sighed heavily and cast a dark look at the squealing girls.

"Why don't they come to school?" I asked, stifling a yawn. I'd gotten in past midnight last night. _Oh. That must be why. I can't imagine how exhausting it must be for them._ Sympathy stole unbidden into my chest, and I worried that Levy would see and turn that disdainful look on me.

"They take time off to prepare beforehand, and afterwards, they probably take more time off to relax. Don't ask me where they go; I have no idea. No one does, except for the members." I nodded, not really processing her words because of the wide yawn that nearly cracked my face in half. "Hey, what's up? You're awfully tired today," she commented, leaning her chin on her palm as she leaned closer.

I looked around nervously, making sure that no one would hear. Not that it would matter anyways; I would just be part of the crowd. "Well, about that…." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, looking anywhere but at Levy. "I was invited to the concert last night…by Sabertooth's Yukino…so I kind of…went." I risked a peek at her and bit my lip. To my surprise, she just rolled her eyes at me.

"I'm not going to tear your head off, so there's no need to give me that look. I just didn't think you would get on board with the bands so soon." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "You probably assumed that I don't like them, based off our conversation yesterday." I nodded sheepishly. "You're not entirely wrong; I don't go out of my way to go to their concerts or stuff like that. But as the Student President, I'm obligated to care for all of the precious band members and put in an appearance every now and then. So I can't exactly hate them with this position." She grinned tiredly at me, seeming to rein herself in. "I'm sorry if I seem cold towards them. It's just hard having to manage their events all the time."

My eyes widened. "You manage their events?"

Now it was her turn to give me a sheepish look. "I'm in Event Managing, and my project this year is helping Fairy Tail's manager to coordinate their events."

"Wow. That sounds…pretty intense."

She grinned at me. "It is. But Laxus-san knows what he's doing, and he's a great mentor. Besides, I want to be a manager when I graduate, so this is good experience."

"_You?_" I sputtered, jerking in my seat. I didn't know why that surprised me so much. It was probably because, in my old school, no one would have even considered such a career.

Levy gave a nervous laugh and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, yeah. I can understand why you'd think it was weird—"

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way," I rushed to reassure her. "I was just surprised, that's all. I think it's a great career!" A genuine smile curled my lips, and she relaxed again, smiling back at me.

"Thanks," she said shyly. Then, leaning closer, she beckoned for me to lend her my ear. "You see, I really like composing music, so I thought that if I were a manager, I could help contribute to the band I was managing."

My eyes sparkled as I turned to her. "Levy, that's great! Have you helped write any of Fairy Tail's songs?"

"Not yet, but Laxus has read some of my lyrics, and he thinks they're all pretty good. In fact, I was thinking of using one of them for my Poetry class." A faint blush made its way across her dainty cheeks.

"That sounds like a good idea. If you wouldn't mind, I could read it and give you some feedback."

She beamed up at me. "You would do that?"

"Sure! That's what friends do, right?" Levy grinned at me with a grateful expression in her hazel eyes.

Professor Strauss attempted to call the class back to order, but it soon became obvious that there would be no learning today. By the second half of the class, he had retreated behind his desk to call his wife down in the office. Levy and I had entertained ourselves by listening in on his sappy conversation, giving each other incredulous looks and giggling. To my great joy, all of my classes were pretty much spent in the same way. That gave me time to finish copying Levy's notes and prepare for the quiz the next day.

By the time the end of the day rolled around, I was already feeling ten times more comfortable with the school. Even the squealing fangirls didn't bother me anymore. It was all part of the school's unique culture. It was the complete opposite of Magnolia School for Girls, and I loved it.

During Humanities, Levy had told me that she would be going over to the Poetry classroom to work something out with the teacher after school, so I found myself walking by myself through the corridors. The flashy posters hanging every ten feet on the walls kept dragging my eyes to the members of Fairy Tail, so before I was even aware of what I was doing, I found myself in the middle of an unfamiliar hallway. I turned to glance behind me, but could not tell in which direction I should head to find my way out to the front campus. There was no one else in this hallway who I could ask for directions, and I had left my map in my locker. _Dang it. How did I even manage to find my way back here, anyways?_

A noise coming from the hallway at the end of this one reached my ears. Someone was just around the corner! I hurried over, relieved that I could finally ask for directions. Maybe it would even be someone I knew—

No sooner had I rounded the corner than I careened to a halt. My jaw dropped as I registered the scene before me. It was indeed someone I knew. Two someones, to be precise. I would recognize Yukino's distinct silver-blue hair anywhere. I couldn't tell who the other was, as their back was to me. I could only see his ragged black hair and black-and-gray outfit, but I had a strong suspicion that I knew who it was. Who else could I stumble across making out with Yukino against a row of lockers?

For a moment, all I could do was stare at Rogue and Yukino as they went at it. _Are they kissing, or eating each other? _Having never been kissed before, I knew nothing of the intricacies of tonsil hockey. But from what I could see, Rogue had just scored a goal…. Her back was pressed against the lockers, her legs wrapped around his waist. Her hands were tangled in his black hair, dragging him closer to her. When his hands slid down to her waist and under her cropped T-shirt, I decided it was time to take my leave. Yukino's soft moans drifted down the hallway behind me as I scurried away, my face resembling a tomato. When I heard a muffled bang followed by a louder moan, I slapped my hands over my ears and bolted into the next hallway, determined to outrun the sight that had burned itself into my virgin eyes.

Unfortunately, as I rounded the corner at top speed, I crashed right into another barrier. I squeaked as I went down, tangled in someone else's limbs.

"Oof!" the person huffed, somehow managing to sound both surprised and sexy at the same time. My stomach dropped out as I recognized the husky tone, and the person it belonged to.

Natsu gazed up at me with amusement as I stared down at him, frozen in humiliation. "You seem to have a habit of running into me, Lucy," he said lightly, perfectly relaxed despite the fact that he was lying on his back on the cold granite floor. "Should I expect this to become a regular occurrence?"

I blushed at his teasing tone. It was then that I realized the rather compromising position we were in. I was lying on top of him, our bodies flush with each other from our chests all the way down to our feet. And our faces were mere inches apart, his expressive black eyes threatening to drag me into their dark depths. I gasped and immediately shot to my feet, dusting off my black miniskirt and purple sweetheart tube top. Still on the ground, Natsu chuckled and sat up. I knew I should offer my hand, since I had been the one to knock him down in the first place, but I didn't think I could handle touching him just yet. He didn't seem to have a problem with it though, since he gracefully straightened to his feet and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his khaki cargo pants. I couldn't help but notice how nicely his white tank top showcased his toned muscles and clung to his very pronounced pecs and abs.

I cleared my throat and looked at his nose. That way, I could still look at his face while avoiding his eyes. Or his deliciously lush-looking lips…. _Lush? Did I seriously just look at that boy's lips and think the word 'lush'? Oh gosh, what is happening to me…._ "Uh, sorry for running into you," I stammered, turning my gaze completely away from him and rubbing the back of my neck. "Again."

A warm laugh bubbled from his lips. _Don't look at them…don't look at them…._ "It's not a problem. In fact, most guys would be thrilled to have a gorgeous girl like you run into them." He winked at me, and that darn blush returned to my cheeks. Natsu's eyes grew serious as he stepped closer, lowering his head to peer into my eyes. "You know, you're really cute when you blush."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I stood there blushing like an idiot and stared down at my white platform boots. I was completely at ease with intimidating business gurus, stuffy old millionaires and greasy young heirs looking for a bride to warm their beds—okay, maybe not so much the last part—but one brush from this high school boy had me stammering like an idiot and blushing like an elementary girl. Ugh. My friend Cana from MSG would be having a fit if she could see me right now. She'd probably bust a gut laughing at how pitiful I was. Then again, this was the girl who had famously slept with every boy in the sixth year at Onibus School for Boys. What would she have done if she had run into a hot boy from a band? _Right. She would've attacked him with kisses by now and kept him on the ground._ I sighed. What was I supposed to do in this situation? It seemed as though he was flirting with me, though I'd had so little experience with it that I couldn't tell for sure. Yeah, I was basically hopeless.

After an awkward moment of silence, I opened my mouth to speak. At the exact same time that he began speaking.

"I should probably—"

"Hey, do you want to—"

We stared at each other for a moment, and then began laughing. He stared down at me warmly, a small grin on his lips. "You first."

"No, it was my fault for knocking you down. You go ahead."

"Very well. Would you like to come with me and meet the band?"

I could only stand there in dumbfounded silence as he watched me expectantly. Finally, I managed to stammer, "O-okay. Just let me call my bu—my friend—to let him know that I won't be coming out for a ride just yet."

Natsu gave me a knowing look as he nodded. I'd forgotten that he had already seen me being chauffeured around by my butler. Darn him for having been in the café yesterday morning! I turned away to call Capricorn. As I was listening to the ringing on the other end, Natsu placed his hand on my shoulder. I turned around in surprise.

"I can give you a ride home," he mouthed just as Capricorn picked up. Flustered, I hastily nodded and turned back to tell Capricorn that I would be coming home later.

"How are you getting home, Miss Lucy?" he asked, concern plain in his voice.

"A friend is giving me a ride," I said casually. But I could feel the words wanting to stick in my throat as I forced them out.

"Very well, Miss. I am very pleased to hear that you are making friends there." His voice was warm, and not the least bit suspicious. When he hung up, I couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped.

"Shall we go, then?" Natsu asked, gesturing for me to go on. I smiled and walked in the direction he pointed. When his warm hand rested on the small of my back, I couldn't help but jump a little. "Does this bother you?" he asked with an amused air to his voice.

I glanced over at him, walking next to me, and narrowed my eyes. "What if I say yes?"

He snorted in amusement. "I would keep my hand here."

"That's what I thought," I muttered. After a few minutes, I realized that we were headed deeper into the school. I cocked my head to the side, curious as to where we were headed. I thought he'd said we were going to meet his band? And Levy had told me that they didn't come to school on days surrounding a concert…. Which begged the question of what he was doing here in the first place?

The curiosity made me bold, and I turned to him with my brows furrowed in confusion. "Where are we going? I thought you guys didn't come to school today."

"Oh, we're almost always at school," he chuckled, urging me along faster. "We just don't usually attend class." I raised an eyebrow in question. "And as for your first question…why don't I show you?" He guided me around a corner, and I saw an old, dinged up metal door. Bright sunlight greeted me when he pushed it open, and I had to shield my eyes from the sudden brightness. Natsu waited until my eyes had adjusted, leaning against the door. Once I was ready to proceed, he led me through the door and out onto a deserted part of the quad. I couldn't hide my curiosity as I looked around at the long, unkempt patches of grass that sprung up between cracks in the bricks. Graffiti was sprayed across the ground, and bits of trash blew across our path when the wind stirred. It was hard to believe that this was part of the same school.

Natsu was walking a few paces in front of me, helping to shield some of the sun's rays with his height. He probably wasn't even aware that he was doing that, but I was grateful nonetheless. It was a short walk across the crumbling brick quad to reach the other, smaller building across the way. This building looked to be in poor repair, too; moss and vines crept up the sides unchallenged, graffiti covered just about every available inch, and I saw a mouse scurry through a hole in the bottom of the outside wall as we approached. What was this place?

As if he had heard my thoughts, Natsu turned to walk backwards, his hands shoved into his pockets again. "This is the oldest part of the school campus. It was the first building used, but then it got too small, and the board just decided to create a new building instead of repairing the first. So now, it's our territory." He turned with a dangerous grin and kicked open the door, his hands still in his pockets. A cloud of dust rose up from the floor as the fresh, outside air swept in. I hesitated in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe.

Natsu turned to look at me. Without saying anything, he stepped closer and clasped my hand in his. I looked down at our joined hands in shock. When I raised my eyes to his, I noticed that he was much closer now; only a scant few inches separated us. My breath snagged in my lungs, my whole body freezing up. The moment was broken when he backed up and tugged on our joined hands for me to follow him. I stepped over a ring of broken glass and followed him through the dimly lit building. The only light in here was filtered through the windows peeking out from deserted classrooms. I was even more grateful for Natsu's guiding hand when he fastidiously helped me navigate the dim hallways. The stairs were particularly irritating, not because of the dimness this time, but because of all the debris littering the steps. Several times, I almost tripped over some heap of junk, but Natsu pulled me up against his side to keep me steady. _How does he do it?_ I wondered with weary awe.

"Almost there," he murmured into my ear as he helped me navigate around a pile of broken glass. A shiver traveled up my spine as his breath brushed against my ear.

After another flight of steps, we reached a small landing with only enough room for a narrow, steep set of stairs leading straight up. I looked up to where they disappeared into the ceiling, realizing that this was the route to the roof.

"You go first, and I'll be right behind you." Natsu gave me what was meant to be a reassuring nudge towards the stairs, but I just looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah right. If I fall, I don't want to take you out with me."

"I'm touched that you care so much about me," he said wryly, "but that's exactly why I need to go after you. If you start to fall, I'll catch you."

Something about the way he said it convinced me that he was trustworthy. After a final moment's hesitation, I put my foot on the first step and used my hands to balance myself against the other steps. It made me nervous to have Natsu beneath me, since I was wearing a skirt. To distract myself from the disturbing thought, I focused on placing my feet carefully. After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the top. There appeared to be some type of latch on the trapdoor above the stairs, but I had no idea how—

Just then, I felt Natsu step up onto the same step as me, his feet braced on either side of mine and his body pressed up against my back. I stifled my gasp as he pressed us both forward so he could reach up to the latch on the ceiling. I expected it to creak horribly when the door was lifted, but the hinges were well-oiled. Why would they have fixed a squeaky hinge and left a staircase full of broken glass and splintered wood? The answer occurred to me just then, and I wondered why I hadn't thought of it sooner.

It was because they didn't use the same staircase he'd taken me up. Briefly, I had to wonder why.

But I had no more time to contemplate that when Natsu's hands rested against my hips and lifted me up through the trapdoor. I crouched on a ledge at the top, stunned. Then Natsu hauled himself up next to me, helping me to stand. After flashing me a brief grin from two inches away, he reached behind me to open another door. I turned as the sounds of instruments rocking out met my ears. My eyes widened at the sight before me. Out on the roof, performing beneath the relentless sun, was the rest of Fairy Tail. As Natsu stepped out onto the roof, the instruments fell silent. The black-haired guitarist—Gray?—strode toward Natsu with a grin and his hand ready to clasp the singer on the shoulder. However, they all froze when their eyes lighted on me. I felt like a deer caught in headlights, unable to run to safety.

"Hey guys, meet Lucy. Lucy, this is the gang. I hope we can all be friends." He glanced to the others as he said this, and I felt an unmistakable sense of trepidation as I looked out at the band members. _I really hope they don't hate me on sight, like Sabertooth's other members…._

* * *

**Hope that wasn't too much of a disappointment! Please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter, and don't forget to follow and favorite! :) Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this story! **


	6. Chapter 6 - First Impressions

A/N: Wah, gomenasai, minna! T.T It's been entirely too long since I updated this story! My life has been taken over by baby bunnies and tests! D: No joke. We found a nest of baby bunnies in our garden, and made the mistake of thinking they were abandoned, so we took them in. And they're a heck of a lot of work, man! :O Too bad all but one have died. :( He's so cute. And this week I had my Finals (tomorrow is the last day of school, HOORAY!), and the weeks before that I had AP tests. T.T So much work! Plus, in my spare time, I was working on finishing up my other fanfic, Fate's Hands. It's completed now, and you guys should go check it out! :) I hope to be able to spend more time on this story over the summer, but probably won't be able to. My summers are even busier than my school year! :O Cross country and crossfit every day, camps every other week, and not to mention summer work for next year's AP classes...it makes my head spin. T.T But I will try my best to update quickly! :D

Anyways, enough about me. Thank you to **Shonnyterra, ElodieKumari94, Lightmoon54, GingerificFabulousTime, GoldenRoseTanya, EmeraldStar642, tangledcharm **and **OG** for the lovely reviews! :) And more thanks to **6Myst9, IG1701FT, Katie Heartphillia **and** Syckness** for favoriting and/or following! :D You guys make my day!

Hope you guys like this chapter...it's a little long for what I want the chapters to be in this story. o.O Oh well. :)

* * *

Chapter 6 – First Impressions

My hands fisted around my skirt in a nervous habit as I bowed to the people on the roof. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Lucy. Please take care of me!" When I straightened, I noticed that the two guitarists were giving me interested looks. While once it might have bothered me, now I was used to men looking at me like that. The one female on the roof with them, the drummer, was had stood up beside her drum set, and was leaning against the half wall at the edge of the roof. Her long red hair was blowing freely in the wind, highlighted by the golden sun behind her. She was stunning, with her slender body and voluptuous assets. Her short black shorts showed off her long, elegant legs, which were tucked into knee-high black boots that hugged her calves. On top, she only wore a thin, loose white tank top that exposed most of her dark red bra. She was currently spinning one of her drumsticks around her fingers while she watched me with a mildly curious look.

The man with the blondish hair (in this lighting, it looked almost orange) whistled low and laced his hands behind his head, allowing his bass to hang from the strap around his neck. "Wow, Natsu. Where did you find this one?"

I glared at the boy, forgetting my discomfort in the wave of irritation that washed over me. "I'm a human being, you ass, not a piece of meat."

A loud laugh erupted behind me, and I turned to see Natsu with his head tossed back as he laughed with abandon. "You heard her, Loke," he said when he managed to catch his breath. "She's far too spirited for that."

As Natsu continued to chortle softly behind me, I turned back to Loke and saw him grinning at me shamelessly. "You're right about that, babe," he said to Natsu as he took a few steps toward me. "My apologies, Miss Lucy. Forgive this humble ass for not thinking; I was too swept away by your beauty." He swept me a dramatic bow and took my hand in his to press a kiss to my knuckles.

I rolled my eyes and tugged my hand from his grasp. "You're forgiven. But that doesn't mean you're allowed to flirt with me."

Loke staggered backward, his hand going to his heart as a wounded look crossed his face. "You wound me, Lady. Would you seriously deprive me of the opportunity to flirt with a goddess like yourself?"

Thankfully, his bandmates intervened just then. The black-haired guitarist stepped forward and grabbed Loke by his spiky orange hair and tugged him backwards. "Come on, Loke, give the girl some breathing room. You're smothering her with your idiocy."

A small smile tugged at my lips as Loke protested this claim and cast me a mock-pleading look. I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and turned to see the red-haired woman standing at my side. Surprise flitted across my face as I instinctively glanced back at the spot she had previously been standing in and found it empty. When had she snuck up beside me without my noticing?

"I apologize for the boys' behavior," she said in a strangely intense voice. "They can get a little girl-crazy at times, though you'd think that, surrounded as they are by fangirls, they would know how to behave around girls by now."

I looked up into her dark amber eyes and rushed to reassure her. "Oh no, Natsu's been perfectly polite to me. I'm sure the others are great guys too, and it's my fault for catching them off guard with my sudden appearance." The words spilled out of my mouth in my haste to defend everyone from her intense aura. I had the feeling that this girl could crack stone just by looking at it.

Apparently satisfied that I hadn't been too traumatized by the boys, the woman relaxed into a lazy smile as she extended her hand. "I'm Erza, by the way. Erza Scarlet."

I shook her hand with a smile of my own. "It's nice to meet you." And before I could stop the words from flowing out, I added, "I was at your concert last night. You guys were all fantastic!"

Behind Erza, the boys were preening at my praise. Natsu moved out from behind me and went over to throw his arms around both of the guitarists' shoulders. He shot me a roguish grin as he turned with a conspiratorial smirk to the black-haired one. "I ran into her at the concert last night, backstage." The other band members' eyebrows shot up as they turned to give me an appraising glance. Natsu continued, "And Gray, I do believe that you are looking at the girl who caught your shirt."

My cheeks turned bright red as I leveled a glare at the pink-haired boy. "It wasn't on purpose," I snapped defensively. Erza chuckled at my response, but I wasn't done. "And actually, you can have it back. I brought it to school with me today in the hopes that I would run into you and be able to return it." As surprise flitted across Gray's face, I reached into my school bag and withdrew the freshly-washed vest, neatly folded to reduce the wrinkles. Gray was still too shocked to do anything but stare as I tossed it to him, and Natsu had to catch it and slap it against his chest for him to finally wake up enough to reclaim his vest.

"You…are returning my vest," he said slowly, as if he wasn't quite sure that this was real. A confused and comically enraged look spread across his face, though I couldn't tell if the anger was serious, or just for show.

"Yes, I am. And you had better appreciate it, because my mai—I mean, I washed it at midnight last night just to have it ready for today." The boys were too busy keeping Gray from going into shock to catch my slipup, but Erza gave me a scrutinizing look, which I pointedly ignored. And come to think of it, it wasn't exactly a lie that I had washed it; Aquarius had been too busy swooning at the thought of me catching a hot band member's shirt to be of much help, so I'd ended up doing most of the work myself.

Loke was practically on the floor in laughter as he teased Gray about being 'undesirable'. Natsu kept having to support Gray so that he wouldn't fall over in shock. And Erza was now watching me with amusement and approval.

"You are definitely an interesting person, Lucy," Erza said, somehow managing to emphasize the fact that I hadn't told them my last name. "I will be very interested in getting to know you better."

"She didn't want my vest," Gray said in a dazed voice. "Have I slipped that far?" His face crumpled in despair, and I rolled my eyes and stalked over to him. Maybe a good smack would set him straight.

Thumping him upside the head, I planted my hands on my hips and looked up at his surprised face. His hand went to the back of his head as he stared down at me in shock. "It's just a piece of damn clothing. I only went for the music, not the sweaty apparel. Besides, every other girl wanted the vest, so don't worry, it's not a problem with you."

My words were met with silence from Gray as he stared down at me with wide eyes. After a moment, he said, in a completely serious voice, "I'm afraid it could never work out between us." His tone was so dramatically tragic that I wondered if he and Loke weren't actually related. Were all the boys in this band so dramatic?

Loke slung his arm around my shoulders, grinning over at Gray. "Good that you know that. It's obvious that there's only chemistry between _us_." I swatted his arm off my shoulders and smacked him upside the head, which got a rise out of Natsu and an amused snort from Erza.

"Why are all the gorgeous girls so cold?" Loke lamented, glancing from Erza to me. "Or maybe it's a conspiracy…!"

"No, Loke, I think it's just a personal problem," Natsu said in amusement.

A bright rhythm suddenly floated through the air, and I turned to look at Gray. He was absentmindedly strumming away on his guitar, and none of the other band members seemed to notice. Even as he was still pretending to cry, Loke's fingers picked their way across the strings of his bass to weave with the tune from Gray's guitar. The melody somehow turned bittersweet, and I wondered what it was, that it could still be so happy and yet make me feel so sad.

Once again, I wasn't even aware of Erza's movements until I heard the tapping of her drumsticks against the cymbals. I looked around me and saw the soft smile on Erza's face and the relaxed look on the guitarists' faces even as their fingers flitted rapidly across the strings. Natsu was swaying his head side to side in time with the beat, a faraway look in his eyes. And then he drew in a deep breath and began singing along.

"'It's still a little cold,' you said with your face covered by your muffler. Next to me, you talk about our small, frozen memories and future. Things went normally, these three years felt so natural…. So valuable and short-lived, I now notice that, and my loneliness spreads…. Thoughts of you, swinging to you…I hid the hand that wasn't holding yours. The hill path which I had to get used to walking on also soon becomes far…."

I was entranced. Without even realizing it, I had backed up to sit on a wooden crate that was sitting against the small, building-like structure that jutted up from the center of the roof, which contained the steps leading down into the old school building. The minutes passed by without my even realizing it, as the band transitioned from one song to another. I could see in the way they grinned, despite the sweat trekking down their faces, that they were in love with their music. It was captivating to watch, as they poured their very souls into the music, in spite of the fact that their only audience was me. And frankly, I was beginning to doubt that they were even aware of my presence anymore.

The sun was shining directly behind them by the time the last stroke of the guitar faded away, marking the passage of several hours. After a long moment of no one wanting to break the mood, I finally climbed to my feet and approached them, a brilliant smile on my face.

"Are those new songs for your next concert?"

Natsu used the bottom of his tank top to wipe the sweat from his neck, giving me a view of his gloriously defined abs. _I could cut steel on those…_I thought as I tried to keep my mouth closed. When he started speaking, I snapped my gaze back up to his eyes. It was much easier to focus on his face now that his shirt was back in place.

"Yeah, we've been working on them for our first album." He grinned and caught the water bottle that Gray threw to him, taking a long swig. Some of the water trickled out the side of his mouth as he tipped it too far up, and small rivulets tracked over his jaw and down the side of his throat. After he brought the bottle away from his lips and capped it again, he used the bottom of his tank top to wipe the water away. _If he keeps doing that, I will never be able to look at his face again._ "What did you think?"

It took me a moment to realize that he'd spoken, but when I did, I found that I was equally at a loss for words. There was just no way to do their music justice with words. So I settled for a mediocre "I think I'm in love." When Loke perked up at my words, I realized my mistake.

However, Natsu laughed breathlessly with excitement, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I knew you'd love them! I could tell from the moment that I ran into you last night that you had an ear for good music." I opened my mouth to retort that you can't tell that kind of thing from running into a person, especially not one as skeptical as me, when he suddenly stepped up to me and wrapped his arms around me. My lips parted in a small O shape as I felt his body heat pressing into me. His tan, muscled arms were firm around my waist, and his breath fanned warmly across my skin as he tucked his face into my neck. It was the type of hug that drew the person completely into the embrace, making them feel safe. Hesitantly, I raised my hands and pressed them to his back to return the hug. Even though I could feel his sweat-sticky skin sticking to mine, I didn't mind. He felt so solid and warm in my arms.

It was only when Gray cleared his throat that Natsu pulled away. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I detected a hint of reluctance. As I stared up at him, I could feel a faint flush creeping across my cheeks. "What was that for?" I asked, cocking my head to the side in curiosity.

Natsu shrugged his broad, muscled shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I guess I was expressing my thanks," he said simply. Something warm fluttered in the pit of my stomach, and I had to look away from his dark, soulful eyes.

"If you two are quite finished," Gray said pointedly, a smile flirting with his lips, "the rest of us would like to get off this roof before we're dead."

Natsu rolled his eyes at the drama, but strolled over to the guitarist to clasp him on the shoulder. Gray took advantage of his presence to thrust his guitar into the singer's hands while he picked up his guitar case, which was propped against the wall at the edge of the roof. Erza was packing up her drum set, taking apart the different drums to heft them onto the cart that was resting a few feet away. I hurried over to help her, and she shot me a surprised but grateful smile.

"It's so great to have another thoughtful person around," she said wryly. "These boneheads are great and all, but they're only guys."

"Hey, I heard that!" Loke called as he fastened the clasps on his guitar case.

"Good!" Erza shouted back, hoisting the heaviest of the drums onto the cart.

Once the equipment was all packed up, we moved the drums to a small shed on one corner of the roof. The boys had already started to descend the steep steps back into the building when Erza and I came to stand in front of the door. Natsu was the only one left on the roof with us, and he gestured for us to go first with a smile. I returned his grin and crouched to descend the steps. When I noticed Loke standing at the bottom, looking up with an eager look on his face, I jerked back from the steps and tugged my skirt down over my butt, making sure no one could see up it. "Back away, you pervert!" I yelled down to him, my cheeks flushing with anger.

Erza brushed past me and gave me a sly grin. "Don't worry, I'll show you how it's done." She nudged a tarp that was lying in the corner by the steps, and kicked it out flat with the toe of her boot. Then she pushed it over the rim so that it floated down the opening. I heard Loke's muffled cursing as he scrambled to get out of the way, and Erza gave a satisfied smirk as she crouched and hopped gracefully down the hole, not even bothering with the steps. I peered down with wide eyes as she landed softly on top of the splayed tarp, dusting her hands off with satisfaction. Loke was nowhere to be seen, though I could still hear him cursing Erza from somewhere to her left.

The red-haired woman rolled her eyes and looked back up at me. "You probably aren't ready to take the leap like that, so I'll make sure these hooligans stay in line while you climb down the stairs."

I grinned my thanks to her and made my way down the steps backwards, like a ladder. As soon as I reached the bottom, I saw a shadow fall over me. I looked up just in time to see Natsu hop down the hole after me, the trapdoor swinging into place. His feet landed with a soft _thud_ on the landing beside me, and I froze when I realized that he was standing a mere inch away from me. In an attempt to relieve some of the breathless tension hanging in the air between us, I snorted and said, "What are you guys, ninjas?"

Natsu smiled down at me and breathed a laugh through his nose. "Ninjas wish they were as cool as us."

"Sure they do," I said drily, moving to put more distance between us. I followed the others down the dusty hallway. The two guitarists' cases were slung over their backs, and they flanked Erza like bodyguards as they walked side-by-side down the hall. When they passed the turnoff that led to the cluttered stairway Natsu had used to guide me up, I turned to Natsu with a questioning look. He was walking next to me, and gave me a helpless look as he shrugged.

"I couldn't show you the secret route without the others' approval," he said simply. I decided to forgive him this time, but only because I was too busy being flattered that I had apparently won the band's approval.

As it turned out, the band's 'secret route' was an old elevator that creaked and groaned and made me cling to Natsu's arm in terror, much to everyone's amusement. Jerks.

When we stepped out into the dusky sunlight, Natsu took my arm and tugged me off toward the left. I gave him a questioning look as the others ambled along behind us. "I'm driving you home, remember?" he said, peering down at me with his eyelids at half-mast. "Don't tell me you forgot." He gently poked my forehead with a finger, between my eyebrows.

My smile froze on my face. I had forgotten. And when he'd made the offer, I'd also forgotten the pact that I'd made with myself to not let anyone from school know of my real identity. That was why I hadn't told anyone my last name. Heartfilia Enterprises was the biggest business name in Fiore, possibly all of Japan. And as soon as Natsu saw my sprawling mansion of a house, he would become curious. That was a complication that I didn't want.

"Of course I didn't forget," I laughed, forcing my tone to be light and airy, completely unconcerned. _Crap. How am I going to get out of this?_

When we reached his car—a flashy red Maserati—parked in a small parking lot along with three other equally outrageous cars, I still hadn't come up with a plan. With no excuse for why I couldn't go with him, I had no choice but to get into the car. To my surprise, he came around to the passenger side and opened the door for me. I gave him a mute nod and slid into the crisp leather seat, inhaling the fresh scent of smoky pine and musky cologne. It smelled just like Natsu. When his door slammed shut, I turned to look at him. His profile was backlit by the sinking sun, outlining his perfect features.

I bit my lip and turned my attention to the other band members, who were climbing into their own cars. Erza was sliding into a cherry red Porsche Carrera, Gray was pulling open the door of a dark blue Lamborghini, and Loke was leaning against a sleek black Corvette. Clearly they all came from good families, too.

"Where to?" Natsu asked as he steered the car out of the lot with one hand. He looked completely at home behind the wheel, and I couldn't lie, it made him look pretty damn sexy.

"Um. Just drop me off at the intersection of Blocks 2 and 5. My house is around there," I said vaguely.

Natsu glanced at me. "What's your address?"

"I just said," I said evasively.

"No, you told me where I could drop you off at in the general vicinity of your house. What kind of a person would I be if I didn't drop you off in front of your house at the very least, if not walk you up to your door?"

"Nooooo," I said quickly, "it's really alright. I have a vicious bulldog, and he doesn't like strangers. The last person who pulled up to my curb had to spend thousands of dollars just to afford the repairs." I nodded for emphasis, striving for a serious, truthful face.

He gave me as lingering a look as he could without crashing, the doubt clear on his face. "Uh-huh. Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" he said drily. A sigh escaped him then. "But it's fine. If you don't want me to come to your house, then I'll just drop you off where you said." I could tell that he wasn't happy with that, but I thought it nice that he was even willing to go along with my request.

"Thank you," I murmured sincerely. He grunted in response.

About ten minutes later, he eased the car to a stop at the side of the street. He got out of the car and came around to my side to open my door for me again. I smiled my thanks. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked seriously, staring deep into my eyes.

I nodded firmly, a slight smile on my face. "I'm sure. Thank you so much for the ride."

"Anytime," he said sincerely. He walked around to his door again and slid in behind the wheel. I stepped onto the sidewalk and turned to make my way down two blocks to my house. Before I'd gone more than three steps though, I heard the whir of the car window being rolled down. I glanced back to see Natsu leaning out the window with a mysterious little smile on his face. "See ya tomorrow, Lucy!" he called, waving his hand once. Then, with a powerful rev of the engine, he disappeared down the street.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment before heading off down the street. I hadn't even gone a block yet when the sky suddenly darkened with storm clouds rumbling in. The clean, earthy scent of imminent rain rose up to greet me, and I glanced up at the sky worriedly. Sure enough, moments later, the skies opened up in a downpour.

"Ah, shit," I muttered as I broke into a jog. All the things in my bag were going to get wet, as were my shoes. This was one of my favorite pairs! And what was Capricorn going to think when I arrived home soaking wet? He'd surely never trust my 'friend' to get me home safely ever again!

Unfortunately, I didn't have to worry about that in the end. As soon as I approached the wrought-iron gate at the foot of the driveway leading up to my house, I realized that I was no longer alone. A split second before I was grabbed from behind and my bag was ripped from my shoulder.

* * *

**Hello again, my darlings! :D Did you like this chapter? If so, let me know in a review! If not...well, also let me know in a review. :) I like knowing which aspects of my stories people find appealing and which are a no-go. :)**

**The song in this chapter that Natsu was singing is Shunsetsu No Koro by the GazettE. Great song, you should check it out. :)**

**Also, I have a new idea for another Fairy Tail fanfic stewing in my mind, and will likely start on that one soon, now that summer has arrived. It will be about a circus, and the main couple will be Jellal and Erza. It will have a slightly darker tone to it, but please stay tuned for that, and I hope you guys check it out once I get it up! :D **


	7. Chapter 7 - Of Colds and Crazy Fangirls

A/N: Well, hello there, minna-san! :D Chapter Seven is here! And today's thanks go to **Lucyheartfilla, Shonnyterra, GingerificFabulousTime, Harria Keira-Jae, Guest, KK, Lucy Black Heartfillia, ElodieKumari94, tolazytologin **(you and me both, my friend. XD That's why I never log out!)and **passby **for the fabulous reviews! Additional thanks to **FlameFairy02, Kanatachan,** **Li0ness95** and** DeathTheGirl13 **for favoriting and/or following! :D

Also, I just uploaded my fourth FT fanfic the other day! :D Two chapters of that are up now, and it's called Suicide Circus. You guys should check it out *hint hint nudge nudge*. ;D

And now, without further ado, I bring you Chapter Seven! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Seven – Of Colds and Crazy Fangirls

A cry escaped me as I stumbled backwards, my hand shooting to my shoulder. I spun around as quickly as I could without slipping on the wet pavement, my eyes already searching for the large, burly attacker. However, my mouth fell open in shock when I saw not a menacing hooligan, but a beautiful girl crouched on the ground, rooting single-mindedly through my bag. She looked to be about my age, with wavy blue hair and flawless alabaster skin. She was also muttering to herself as she pawed frantically through my school bag.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, taking a bold step toward her. "What do you think you're doing?"

The girl ignored me as she stared morosely into the depths of my bag. "Where is it?" she moaned. Her voice was high and clear, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Obviously, whatever she was looking for was very important to her. But why would she be looking for it in my bag? If it was money she was after, I doubt she would've stuck around to dig through my bag.

"Where is what?" I asked in concern. The poor girl was drenched and shivering; she'd probably been waiting in front of my house for me to get home. That only made me more curious.

"The vest!" she cried, finally turning her face to me. Large, midnight blue eyes stared tearfully up at me. "Gray-sama's vest! I saw you catch it last night, so don't play ignorant!"

I could only stand there and stare at her in disbelief. She had seriously stalked me home for a high school boy's sweaty vest. Wow. She had it bad. Deciding to take pity on the poor thing, I crouched down to her level. "Look. Why don't we get inside and discuss it somewhere dry? And what's your name, anyways?"

She sat there in silence for a moment, thinking over my words. At last, she slowly rose to her feet. "Juvia. Juvia Lockser."

I smiled and stood so that we were face-to-face. I could see now that we were both of the same build, so lending her some dry clothes wouldn't be a problem. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy."

She smiled timidly back and shyly held the bag out to me. By now, it was dripping wet. Thankfully, I had about ten other school bags that I could use. "I apologize for my behavior just now," she said, ducking her head. "I don't know what came over me."

I accepted the bag and took her elbow to guide her toward the gate. "Don't worry about—" A huge sneeze interrupted me, and I wondered worriedly if I was coming down with a cold. "—it," I finished, wiping my nose.

Juvia turned to me with concern. "Oh no," she moaned. "You're getting sick, and it's all my fault."

I turned to her hastily and assured her that it wasn't her fault; after all, I had already been caught in the rain before she jumped me. As quickly as my quivering fingers would allow, I typed in the code to unlock the gate. It swung open and I tugged Juvia after me. As soon as I'd slammed the gate back into place, we made a dash up the long driveway. Ahead of us, the porch light glowed like a lighthouse beacon amidst the haze of rain and fog, beckoning us forward. We sloshed up the steps to the massive front door, and I stifled another sneeze.

"Just go along with whatever I say," I told her as I lifted my hand to knock on the oak doors. She nodded as I heard footsteps coming towards me. Through the foggy glass side paneling, I saw a shadow move in front of the door. In the next moment, the door was pulled open to reveal Capricorn. He took in my bedraggled appearance and hastily motioned for me to step inside. When his gaze traveled to Juvia, he extended his concern to her, as well.

Once we were both standing on the rug in the entry hall, Capricorn closed the door behind us and brought his walkie talkie up to his mouth. "Virgo, prepare a hot bath in the Spring room. Two pairs of Miss Lucy's clothes will be required, as well."

Unable to stifle it any longer, a violent sneeze ripped through me, making my throat ache and my nose run. Capricorn looked at me with a near-panicked look, and I rushed to reassure him. "It's fine, Capricorn. After a hot soak and some broth, I think I will be quite alright."

Capricorn nodded and radioed a message to Cancer in the kitchen, telling him to prepare some hot chicken broth. Then he turned back to us with a stern look on his face. "Miss Lucy, what happened? Why are you both soaked?"

My mind raced for a plausible explanation as I waved my hands at him in a dismissive gesture. "Oh, it's nothing. Juvia's car ran out of gas a block from our house, so I decided to walk the rest of the way instead of waiting for the tow truck. I invited Juvia to accompany me so that she wouldn't be sitting alone in the car until someone came."

Capricorn nodded in acceptance and bowed politely to Juvia. "Miss Juvia, thank you for your willingness to drive my mistress home from school today. I apologize for any inconvenience you might have suffered."

"Not at all," she said politely, returning the bow. "It was my pleasure." I smiled slightly to myself as she went along with my story like it was the most natural thing in the world.

When I sneezed again, Capricorn ushered us up the staircase and told us to go straight to the Spring room for a hot bath. We scampered up the stairs in our drenched clothing, and I felt guilty about the trail of water we left. However, I couldn't contain my excitement as we entered the aforementioned Spring room. It was a large, public-style bathroom that housed two large pools. As the name would suggest, they resembled hot springs. As we stepped into the steamy room, the pink-haired maid was just finishing dumping several packets of sweet-smelling bath salts and skin-treating minerals into the pool closest to us. To top it off, Virgo reached into a large basket at her feet and gathered handfuls of flower petals to sprinkle across the steamy surface of the water.

"Your bath is ready, Miss," Virgo said, bowing to me as she backed away. "Will you require my assistance with anything?"

"No thank you, Virgo. This is quite fine." I was already unbuckling my belt and slinging it across a rack, my skirt following right behind it. Virgo bowed once more and left to gather some fresh clothes for us. It felt so good to peel my soggy stockings off and dip my feet into the water that a sigh of contentment slipped through my lips. Just before I slid all the way into the glorious water, I turned back to look at Juvia with a questioning look. She still hadn't made to remove her sopping blue dress, and she looked positively pitiful with her hair dripping in her eyes. "Juvia, is something the matter?"

She shuffled nervously as her fists nervously balled up a handful of her dress. "Why…why are you being so kind to me?" she asked at last, her dark blue eyes locking with mine determinedly. "You don't even know me."

I sighed and turned to face her, not even caring that I was butt-naked. "I suppose that's a valid question," I mused thoughtfully, propping my elbow up on my other arm that was wrapped around my stomach. I tapped my chin as I thought aloud. "I couldn't just leave you out there in the pouring rain, and I certainly wasn't about to engage in a discussion about a vest in such circumstances." I shrugged my shoulders. "And besides that, you don't seem like a bad person. I certainly can't begrudge you for being a crazy fangirl." A teasing grin curved my lips, and I tossed my head as I turned to slink into the steaming pool. The water seemed to melt around my body as I sunk slowly into its depths, and the minerals in the water made it slightly cloudy. A moment later, I heard the sound of Juvia's wet clothes hitting the ground. She slid into the pool next to me, hissing with pleasure as the soothing heat caressed her skin.

"Lucy-san, you are an incredible person," she said, turning to me with wide, sincere eyes. "I really want to be friends with you."

I smiled kindly at her in response and clasped her shoulder in camaraderie. "Then let's be friends, ne?"

We bathed in companionable silence, basking in the warmth and the scent of rose hips and lilac. I leaned back in the water to let my hair float out behind me. The slight waves from Juvia's movements lulled me so that my eyelids slid shut without my realizing it. Through the haze of sleep that had crept over my mind, I heard Juvia's voice filtering into my mind as if through a long tunnel. "So…about that vest…."

"Huh?" I murmured in a complete state of relaxation.

"The vest you caught at the concert. I couldn't help but notice your face as you caught it. I certainly wouldn't describe it as happy or excited. So…I was wondering if I could just take it off your hands…."

"Huh. That's funny," I slurred without thinking, "I just returned it to Gray today."

Suddenly, the tunnel seemed very short. Juvia's voice was reverberating through my skull like a train. "You WHAT? Why would you do that?!"

Water flooded my mouth and nose as I was plunged beneath the surface of the bath. My eyes shot open at the shock, and I saw Juvia shaking me by the shoulders with a crazed look in her eyes. Her words were garbled, as I was underwater, and I realized that it was impossible to breathe. Frantically, I shoved at her with my hands, my head breaking the surface of the water as I gasped for air.

Fully alert now, I cried, "Are you insane? You could have drowned me!"

"You gave Gray-sama back his shirt!" she screeched, lunging for my throat. "Have you no soul? You're not even a ginger!"

I cried out and swatted her hands away, but she retaliated by tackling me into the water. We both went under with a splash, and continued grappling beneath the water. I spat a rose petal out of my mouth, and it floated onto her face, where it stuck. When we were both on the verge of passing out for lack of oxygen, we broke the surface, panting as we clung to each other weakly.

Someone cleared their throat over by the door, and I looked up to see that Virgo had returned with some plush towels and fresh clothes. She was currently giving us the kind of look that said 'I didn't see anything, but if I did, I would be very concerned.' Setting the clothes down on a table near our pool, she said, "Don't mind me. And please don't let me interrupt anything; I don't judge." Her tone was so dry and polite that it took me a second to understand what she was saying.

_Oh. OH._ I leapt away from Juvia as fast as I could. "It's not like that!" I protested, giving the blue-haired girl a pleading look. Thankfully, she seemed to have realized the same thing at the same time, for she hastily held her hands up like a barrier between herself and the pink-haired maid.

"She's right, Virgo-sama," she added helpfully. "We are not lesbian lovers; I was trying to strangle her." Oh gosh. Like that would make it any better….

"Oh," Virgo said significantly. "I see. Well, carry on." And with that, she winked at us and headed out the door with our wet clothes.

I smacked my forehead with my palm. "It's not like that, either!" I called after Virgo as she retreated from the room. She gave no indication of having heard me, and I slapped the water in irritation. What a damn nosy maid.

Juvia and I faced each other with exasperated looks. "Should we go down to eat some broth?" Juvia suggested, her anger with me apparently forgotten.

I nodded and rubbed a hand down my face. "Sure."

* * *

As it turned out, Juvia had walked the three miles from her house to mine. Which meant that she had no car with which to return for the night, and her parents were away on a business trip, so she was stuck at my house. At least she didn't attack me during the night, though she did pounce on me for details about my relationship with the band. I could tell that she was disappointed when she heard my limited interactions with them. Still, that girl had commanded me to introduce her to Gray the next day, so I figured that she was impressed enough. Thankfully, she was also a sixth year at Fairy Academy, so it wouldn't be a big deal for her to drive in with me the next morning. And perhaps the most endearing part about her was that she didn't ask any questions about my family. The most she'd said about the house over the course of the evening was, "Nice place you got here." That was enough to win my favor. Her apology for the attempted strangulation in the bathtub was also appreciated. And so, in the end, I promised her that I would introduce her to her precious Gray-sama the next day.

Unfortunately, when I woke up the next morning, I realized that I would be unable to fulfill my promise. My head was pounding thickly, and my body felt achy and feverish. Juvia took one look at me and proclaimed me sick with a bad cold. I glared at her. "How are you not sick?" I asked accusingly, followed by a sneeze.

"I don't get sick in the rain," she said proudly. "I spent so much time playing in it as a child that water has no effect on me." To her credit, she did try to apologize for keeping me out in the rain last night, but once again I would not hear of it.

"Go on now. I don't think I'll be going to school today, but you can help yourself to my closet. Capricorn can give you a ride to the school." Another sneeze erupted from me, causing my head to pound painfully. "It hurts…" I muttered.

Juvia refused to leave until she had wrapped a cool cloth around my forehead and brought me a bowl of ramen from the kitchen. It was surprisingly touching how devoted she was. It only made me feel worse that I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to her. "Juvia, I'm so—_achoo!_—sorry that I won't be able to introduce you to Gray to—_achoo!_—day. I promise that I'll do that as soon as I'm back in school."

Juvia gave me a fierce look as she stood at the side of my bed. "I'll take that. But not until you're one hundred percent better! I think I'm in one of your classes, so I'll ask the teacher for your schedule and collect all your homework assignments for you. If you'd like, I can bring them over to you after school."

I smiled at her offer. "Thank you, Juvia-chan! I will tell Capricorn to pick—_achoo!_—you up from school so you can bring them to me. And I'm sure he'd be more than willing to drive you to—_achoo!_—your house afterwards, too."

By the time I finally managed to get Juvia out the door, I feared she would get to school late. _She was surprisingly cute_, I thought to myself. For a crazy fangirl with homicidal tendencies, that is. Still, I figured that we would get along well enough to become good friends. And who knows? Maybe Gray would even be willing to give the vest to Juvia. _I'm sure he would appreciate the attention._

Despite my valiant attempts to stay awake by reading my history textbook, the feverish sleep overcame me. I fell into a deep, restless sleep and didn't wake up until almost three in the afternoon. I still felt so tired and sluggish, so I wondered why I had awoken. I was just about to lay my head back down to try to go back to sleep when I realized why I had woken up.

There were unfamiliar voices in my house, and they were rapidly drawing nearer to my room.

* * *

**Alright, so I know that I made Juvia slightly way out of character, but I'm not sorry! :P I can't stand making her speak in third person, so she won't in this story. I hope you all appreciate that. :) And I hope nobody was disappointed that it was Juvia who jumped Lucy at the end of the last chapter! More than that, though, I hope nobody was disappointed with this chapter...not much really happened, so for that, I apologize. *bows* **

**Anyways, please favorite, follow and leave a review, guys! Nothing makes my day more than waking up to see new reviews on my stories! :D And tomorrow, I will sorely need a morning pick-me-up, because I'll be getting up at 6:00 in the freaking morning to go do crossfit with my cross country coach and a handful of other girls. T.T IT'S SUMMER, GUYS! THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING! If any of you have done crossfit, you will know my pain. D: **

**I hope to be able to update this story again before I leave for a week-long mini mission for my church this Saturday! But if I don't, then I won't be able to update for two more weeks, because I leave for another camp the day after I return. T.T So busy... Anyways, I'll stop whining now. Ain't nobody got time to read that crap. So, until next time, my lovelies! *blows kisses and waves***


	8. Chapter 8 - Visitors

A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter! :D I'd like to thank **ElodieKumari94, GoldenRoseTanya, Ash Lite -former EST, Lightmoon54, creastirion45, NALU-4-EVER-12, FlameFairy02 **and **tolazytologin** for reviewing! Your reviews all made me smile! :) Additional thanks go to **Unicornmia, Pinza-chan, StarGem16, sadieanubis, CierraLuvsPokemon4Eva, crayontesla, xlCamperr **and **smile-arashi** (I apologize for missing you on the last update, so I'll include you now!) for favoriting and/or following!

This chapter is more of a fluff chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it! :)

* * *

Chapter Eight – Visitors

_Robbers!_ was the first thought that popped into my mind. However, I immediately gave myself a mental smack as I realized that robbers wouldn't be making so much noise. My second thought was, _Oh crap, guests! Why now? I hope they're not here to see me…._ But I couldn't think of anyone else for whom they would be here. After all, my father was overseas on yet another business trip and the maids never had guests over at the house. That only left me. Little old me, who was currently cocooned in my blankets with an ice compress strapped to my forehead. Yeah, I wasn't about to let visitors see me in this state.

I nervously pulled the sheets up so that only my chocolate brown eyes were visible over the top, and waited for the next move. The voices stopped right outside my door, and I cringed internally. _Virgo, Aquarius, Capricorn, or whoever let them in, I am going to kill you…._ However, a gentle knock sounded on the door just then, and Virgo's voice floated in through the cured cherry wood.

"Miss Lucy, your lover and some friends are here to see you."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the door was flung open, and a cluster of teenagers spilled into my room. A small squeak escaped me as I tugged the sheets tighter around me. Virgo's words caught up with me as I began to recognize the faces standing before me. Juvia was at the forefront, shuffling nervously as she refused to meet my eyes.

My cheeks reddened from irritation as I shouted to Virgo, "She's not my lover!"

The pink-haired maid merely cocked her head and said, "Is it time for punishment, milady?"

"No! Just leave!" I yelled in frustration. This fever was messing with my brain, making me more irritable than necessary. Virgo bowed and gently closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with a roomful of hallucinations. After all, there was no way that Fairy Tail could be standing in my room, right? Right.

"Lucy-chan, I'm so sorry!" Juvia wailed, wringing her hands in obvious distress. "They heard me asking for your homework to bring to you, and…and…I was attacked!" She clapped her hands to her cheeks dramatically, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. As if on cue, a roll of thunder was heard outside.

"We did _not_ attack you," Erza said irritably. "There was no violence involved."

"You dragged me out front and commanded me to show you guys the way to Lucy's house!" Juvia protested indignantly, planting her fists on her hips. Even through my irritation with this whole situation, I couldn't help but notice how nice she looked in my short white shorts and black-and-white striped blouse that hung off one shoulder.

"Minor details," Natsu chimed in, nonchalantly waving Juvia's words away. "Besides, don't deny that you were only too eager to go along with us when Gray asked you to."

Juvia's cheeks flushed bright pink, and I felt sorry for the poor girl. How low, using her infatuation for the guitarist to further their nefarious deeds. I wondered idly if everyone in the school knew of her feelings for Gray. Pushing the sheets back so that I could swing my legs out of bed, I scowled at all of the band members. Intending to give them a piece of my mind for barging into other people's houses uninvited, I rested my feet on the ground and made to stand up. However, my legs apparently decided not to work properly, for I pitched forward and would have landed on my face but for the strong, tan arms that suddenly flashed out to catch me. I gasped as Natsu swung me up into his arms like I weighed no more than a sack of flour. All of a sudden, I was embarrassed that I was only wearing my sparkly cupcake PJ's, which consisted of a matching shorts and tank top set. Just great. Not only did they see me with no makeup and my hair in disarray, but now they got to see my childish pajamas.

As if he had read my mind, Natsu glanced down at me and did a double take. His eyes lingered on the narrow strip of skin exposed where my tank top had ridden up around my waist, before taking in the rest of the pajamas. "Nice…pajamas," he said in an unidentifiable voice.

"Put me down!" I said sharply, my cheeks turning bright red. Natsu chuckled and set me gently down on the bed, though in doing so, he brought his face down to within an inch of mine.

"You look cute when you blush," he murmured against my ear. Of course, that only added to the color taking over my face.

Doing my best to repress my irritation, I leaned back and crossed my arms over my chest. "What the heck are you guys doing here? Juvia is the only one with a legitimate excuse for being here, because I asked her to bring me my homework."

Loke stepped forward, a tragic expression on his handsome face. "We couldn't bear the thought of you being ill, my sweet, so we rushed over right away to minister to your every need."

"Speak for yourself," Gray snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"In case you hadn't noticed," I interrupted, genuine annoyance coloring my tone, "I have all the help I need." All of my anger returned as I realized that the one thing I had been trying to protect had been shattered; my identity.

"I had noticed," Loke said. "Really nice place you got here," he said in awe, looking around my spacious room with wide eyes. I suddenly felt really self-conscious as I realized that three boys were standing in my bedroom. "What do your folks do, anyways?"

The dreaded question. I felt my face flushing again, though this time it was from anger. "That," I snapped, "is none of your business."

Everyone looked at me curiously, but apparently understood that I was not in the mood to be questioned, for they dropped it. Juvia was the first one to break the awkward silence by jumping forward with a bag full of textbooks and assignments. "I have your home—" she began, but was interrupted when Natsu snatched the bag out of her grasp and stepped in front of her.

"I'll explain to Lucy what the homework is," Natsu said smoothly as he spread the contents of the bag out across my bed. "Why don't you guys go and bring her some soup and a new ice pack?"

I started to say that I wasn't hungry, but the look that Natsu gave me made me hold my tongue. Erza gave Natsu a shrewd look before slowly turning and walking towards the door. "Come with me, everyone, and we'll go fetch something for Lucy to eat."

I watched as the others all trooped out after Erza, and hoped that Juvia and Erza would be able to keep the boys out of trouble. What would the servants think? None of my friends had ever been over to my house before, not even when I attended the academy for girls all just as rich as I was. A more worrisome thought crept to the forefront of my mind: What would my father think when he found out about this? He was already just a moment away from whisking me out of Fairy Academy, and this might be the thing that finally convinced him of its unworthiness to teach a Heartfilia. _I can't let that happen._

I opened my mouth to tell Natsu that they had to leave, but before I had a chance to speak, he braced his arms on either side of me and leaned forward so that our faces were almost touching. "Why didn't you want me to see your house last night?"

I was so caught off guard by his question and the intensity of his gaze that I could do nothing but sputter unintelligibly as I thought of something to say. Any excuse I tried to make would be shot to pieces, now that he knew the story of my vicious bulldog was a lie. I bit my lip and looked down so that he wouldn't see the insecurity shining in my face like a beacon of shame.

"Lucy. Look at me," he commanded gently, using his finger to tilt my chin up so that I was forced to meet his gaze. For a moment, all we could do was stare mutely into each other's eyes. His were like glistening black gems, beautiful in their depth, and yet unreadable as twin lumps of obsidian. Finally, he sighed and ducked his head. "Fine," he said softly. "I understand that you have your reasons. I just hope that one day you'll trust me enough to tell me them.

"However," he continued, meeting my gaze with narrowed eyes and a stern tone, "that's no excuse for allowing yourself to get sick just because you didn't want me to see your house. Do you have any idea how worried I was today, when you didn't show up for first period? As far as I knew, the last time I'd been sure of your safety had been when I left you on that curb last night. For all I knew, you could have been picked up by a gang and beaten up. You could have been lying in a gutter somewhere, bruised and bleeding, all because I had been foolish enough to let you wander alone at night, and in a brewing storm, no less." Natsu grabbed my shoulders and leaned so close to me that our noses were almost brushing. "And when I found out that you had fallen ill because of me, do you have any idea how angry I was at myself? You could have caught pneumonia, for crissake!" Before I had a chance to react, he crushed me to his chest, his arms wrapping around me as he rested his cheek on the top of my head.

I could only sit there with wide eyes, my cheeks turning pink. After a moment, I ducked my head against his chest and fisted my hands in the fabric of his shirt at the small of his back. "I'm sorry, Natsu," I whispered hoarsely. His arms tightened around me, drawing me into the warmth of his embrace.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway, and I looked up to see that Juvia had returned with the band. Erza was standing with a tray of soup in her hands, and judging from her pursed lips and hooded eyes, the throat-clearing had been compliments of her. Natsu and I pulled away from each other, though I thought I detected a hint of reluctance from Natsu again.

"If you two are quite finished…?" Erza said in a very unamused voice. However, there was a sparkle in her eyes that bellied the tone of her voice, letting me know that she was secretly entertained by this display.

"Gee, I know there's a lot of homework, but it's not _that_ bad," Gray said drily, rolling his eyes as he turned to walk back out into the hallway.

"I'll go see if he's okay," Juvia murmured as she followed the black-haired boy out into the hall.

That left Erza, Loke, Natsu and me in my room. For a moment, we all just stared around awkwardly, not meeting each other's gazes. Natsu stood up and moved away from my bed, and already I missed the warmth of his closeness. Erza promptly moved to set the tray with the soup down on my bedside table, and I nodded my thanks to her. However, I couldn't even think about eating with the others all gathered around, hovering uncertainly. After a moment, I sighed and stood up again, this time with more success. Natsu hovered close by as I slowly shuffled away from the bed, ready to catch me should I start to fall. After a few steps, my legs felt almost as strong as usual.

"Well, I appreciate your concern," I began, moving towards the door. "And thank you for bringing me the homework and the soup." I nodded to Erza as I said that last part. "However, you guys should probably all head out now…." I trailed off as I passed by the window, my eyes widening in disbelief. It looked like a monsoon out there. I hurriedly drew closer and pushed the curtains aside so I could have a better view. The trees were whipping around in the fierce maelstrom, and rain was pouring down so hard that I couldn't see anything clearly through the torrent. As I watched, a large branch of lightning forked down from the sky, lighting up the black clouds for a split second.

I slowly turned back to face them, mixed feelings running through me. "Well then. I guess you guys will just have to stay for a little longer then," I said in defeat. "Just until the worst of the storm blows over."

* * *

**Well, I did it. I uploaded another chapter. :) Even though it was pretty short. :( Sadly, I will be leaving tomorrow, and will not return until next Saturday. :( Then I will be leaving for another week-long camp the very next day, so I will be unable to update for two weeks. T.T It would make me so happy if you guys could all leave a review on this story while I'm gone, so I have a bunch of reviews to return to. :) Favoriting and following would be nice, too. :D **

**See you all in two weeks! :) **


	9. Chapter 9 - Piano

A/N: I'm back, minna! :D I've missed you all! T.T And I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this story, since I've been back for...over a week now. O.o I've been crazy busy, and maybe just a tad lazy. XD But I promise, I will try to update again as often as I am able! Thank you all for waiting so patiently! :)

A big thank you goes to **Shonnyterra, ElodieKumari94, Lucyhearfilla, GoldenRoseTanya **and **Tazumi Hanako** for reviewing on Chapter Eight! ^.^ Additional thanks go to **aprildragonfire16, o0Emilia-chan0o, yazste7,** **Kitsune Ayanne, Twilight Imperial Princess, Bobbi Phantom, 4EverETRNL, DIGIKO12, Tigerz101, Dreamer-3471121, Alice** **Harkey** and** BlackSwan707** for favoriting and/or following! There were so many of you this time! :D

Now, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out to let me know what you think! :)

* * *

Chapter Nine – Piano

I resisted the urge to bang my head on the desk as I watched the words swim meaninglessly across the page. We were being given time to free-study in class today for the exam tomorrow, but I couldn't dredge up enough concentration to even get through the first chapter in the unit. My book was standing upright in front of me, and my arm was propped up on the desk so I could rest my chin in my hand. The soft voices of students working in small groups surrounded me, along with the rustling of pages. Sighing, I lowered my textbook to the desk and half-heartedly flipped to the next page.

A crumpled ball of paper suddenly hit me in the shoulder, causing me to glance up in surprise. I couldn't see anyone looking over at me, and Ms. Strauss hadn't noticed anything yet, so I turned my attention to the wad of paper sitting on my desk next to my Humanities textbook. I subtly picked it up and brought it into my lap, where it would be hidden from prying eyes. There, I quietly unfolded it and smoothed it out, revealing the words scrawled across it in blue ink. "_What's up with you, Luce?_" it read. Immediately, I recognized the pet name that a certain rock star had given me. I couldn't say for sure what had been the turning point in our relationship that made us close enough for nicknames, but Natsu Dragneel had taken to calling me 'Luce' ever since he'd come to my house with the others just one week ago.

My eyes narrowed and I scrubbed the back of my head roughly with my hand in irritation as I recalled the incident. After the rain had come along and ruined everything, the band plus Juvia had been forced to stay at my house for several hours, until the rain let up enough for them to return to their own homes. I still grimaced whenever I remembered the awkwardness of those few hours. I'd hauled my fever-ridden ass out of bed and made myself presentable, and then gone down to the parlor to entertain my unwanted visitors. _Never again,_ I thought to myself in despair as I recalled the painful ordeal. Erza had already found the photo albums in the bookcase by the time I arrived, and it had been all downhill from there.

Now, I turned my head and glanced furtively behind me at the pink-haired boy sitting two desks behind me in the row next to mine. He was watching me with an unreadable expression on his handsome face, his open textbook lying ignored on his desk. On the other side of him, Gray was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, chewing on the end of his pencil absentmindedly as he stared blankly at the textbook. In front of Gray, Loke was "studying" with a girl with long brown hair and a full bust. And in front of Natsu, Erza was not even pretending to study. She had her knees propped against the edge of her desk as she leaned back with a novel in her lap, her textbook lying closed on her desk. It was a good thing that they were behind Levy, who sat in the desk next to mine, or she would've had a fit at their blatant lack of appreciation for this "opportunity to increase their knowledge" and prepare for the test.

I stifled my grimace as I met Natsu's gaze, knowing that I couldn't let on about the truth of what was really going on. Instead, I focused on smoothing out my features into a natural, reassuring smile. "I'm fine," I mouthed to Natsu, nodding my head slightly for emphasis.

Natsu's eyes searched mine for several long moments, until he finally smiled back at me, evidently reassured. Satisfied that he would go back to studying, I turned around again to face forward. My gaze wandered around the classroom, as I still couldn't summon the will to study. Ms. Strauss was typing something up on her computer, a serene expression on her face. A group of students in front of me laughed softly at something, likely not even talking about the imminent test and the material it would cover. "…so jealous," I heard one girl titter. "Is he really going to take you on a cruise in the Caribbean over break?"

I propped my chin in my hand again, already zoning out, when I heard another girl say wistfully, "Well, that's what he said. But my father always promises things and then never delivers. Last time, he said he would take me to the hot springs in Okinawa, but then he ran off with another girlfriend of his."

My eyes drifted to the girl who had just spoken. She had wavy lavender hair and a pretty face with sad brown eyes framed by thin, wire glasses. I seemed to recall that her name was Laki, but I didn't really know anything else about her. Her words had poked a stick in my fresh wounds though, and I felt a pang in my chest as my hand absent-mindedly went to the pocket of my cropped leather jacket. Without fully realizing what I was doing, I drew a folded-up square of paper from the pocket and began unfolding it with shaking fingers. I nervously smoothed my fingers across the creases as I stared down at the letter in my lap. Hot, bitter tears threatened to leak down my cheeks, and I bit my lip to focus on the pain in my body rather than the pain in my heart. Even though I had already read and reread this letter all night long, it still hurt to read it now.

_Lucy:_

_I regret to inform you that my business in Paris has been prolonged, so I will not be home for the upcoming holidays. I have given money to Capricorn to buy extra presents for you. _

_I trust that you are behaving and getting superior grades in school. The servants will be sending me your grade card after the semester ends. So far, they have reported that you are doing well and making new friends. I am pleased that you are doing well, but I hope you continue to do so, or I will have to remove you from Fairy Academy. Remember, friends can make or break you, so only make friends who can walk beside you through life. _

_Sincerely, _

_Papa_

I hastily swiped at the tear that formed at the corner of my eye. My father sent me a letter like this every year, making some excuse for why he wouldn't be coming home. They grew shorter and more to-the-point each year. But that was okay; I wasn't close to my father, anyways. We never had been, if I was being honest with myself. He had never pretended that I was more important than his work, so it never really came as a surprise. And yet, seeing how easily he pushed me off onto the servants as their responsibility never grew any easier. _He won't even buy me his own Christmas presents…he just tells the servants to buy me extra. _Another tear dripped from my lashes.

_He's always so brusque…no "how are you, Lucy?" or "what's new in your life?" Does he even know my interests, my hobbies? If he does, it's only because the servants are thoughtful enough to include them in the reports they send to him every month._ The paper crinkled beneath my fingers as I curled them into fists. _He doesn't even know me, and yet he presumes to tell me how to live my life. _The words in the last sentence of his letter rang through my mind, echoing in a taunting voice. _Only make friends who can walk beside me in life…if anyone else's father had said those words, he would have meant to choose only loyal friends. But my father means for me to only choose friends who can "fit" in my life—rich friends from wealthy families._ _Friends who could reasonably appear at my side at a gathering of wealthy socialites. _My blood started to boil in my veins. I crumpled the paper up in one fist and squeezed until my fingernails pierced the skin of my palm. I watched as dark red blood spread across the crisp white paper, eating up my father's fancy handwriting. Or was it his personal assistant's? I could never tell which letters were actually penned by him and which were only dictated.

That thought made the rage mounting within me threaten to spill over the brink, and I didn't realize I was shaking until my pencil rolled off the desk. Blinking through the dark emotions rising within me, I hastily stuffed the crumpled letter into the pocket of my shorts and leaned to retrieve my pencil. Thankfully, the bell rang just then, signaling the end of the class and the end of the school day. Still shaking with pent-up rage, I swiftly swept my books into my bag and took off for the door before anyone else was even out of their seat. I heard Natsu call my name, but I ignored him as I continued to the door and left the classroom.

I continued my brisk pace all the way to my locker, where I quickly exchanged my things for the books I would need for that night's homework. As I slammed my locker shut and turned to make my way to the front of the school, I slowed. I didn't want to go home right now, I realized. I came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, emotions warring within me. Students grunted angrily and protested the new road-block, bumping into me as they tried to get around me.

"What do you think you're doing, punk?"

I turned irritably to see a large guy standing before me, his thick arms crossed menacingly over his muscular chest. His messy hair looked to be dyed pale blond, judging from the dark roots growing in, and he had a tattoo snaking out from the corner of his eye and across his temple. I returned his glare as I snapped, "Thinking. Maybe you should try it sometime."

He reached out to grab the collar of my leather jacket and drew me up to his face, preparing to lay into me. However, before he could get so much as a word in, I felt another hand rest lightly on my shoulder. I saw the thug's eyes widen as he hastily released me, causing me to stumble backwards into a rather solid chest. The hand on my shoulder tightened as I regained my balance, and I spun to see a familiar—and unexpected—face hovering above mine. A pair of red eyes narrowed as they focused on the man who had originally grabbed me.

"Why don't you wait until you've made something of your life before picking on others?" Rogue asked in a bored voice that somehow managed to convey intense distain.

The man made a final grunt of protest before angrily shouldering his way into the gathering crowd and vanishing behind the wall of bodies. I turned to look at Sabertooth's bassist again, feeling confused and wary. "Thank you," I said hesitantly, wondering if this was some kind of trick. Last time I had checked, Yukino was the only one in the band who harbored fond feelings toward me.

Rogue grunted and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets, already turning away. "Yukino would have been upset if I'd let you get pulverized without stepping in," he said by way of explanation.

My glare sharpened on his retreating back, and I huffed as I spun to continue in the opposite direction. I pointedly ignored everybody's stares as I stalked down the hall, not caring that I was headed deeper into the school now. After all, I had no desire to be home right now. Ducking into the girls' bathroom, I pulled out my phone and dialed Capricorn. As I listened to the ring, I wondered if the servants were going to be concerned if I kept not showing up after school.

"Hello, Miss Lucy, how may I help you?" Capricorn's voice picked up.

"I will be staying after school for a little bit today, so you can go ahead and head home. And don't worry about how I'll get home; I have a way." Before he could say anything else, I ended the call and stuffed my phone back in my back pocket. I felt slightly bad about using such a commanding tone with Capricorn, but I told myself that I would make it up to him. And as for this 'way' I had in mind…well, I could use a bit of exercise anyways.

Nearly twenty minutes passed as I wandered the halls, lost in my dark thoughts. Eventually, I came to a hallway I hadn't been in before, and I curiously turned down it. The hall had only two doors, and I glanced up at the signs above the doors to see which classes these held. The door on my left was the art room, and the door on my right was the music room. I felt a stirring of longing within me as I stared at the door on my right. Finally, a sigh of defeat slipped through my lips and I rubbed the back of my neck. I quickly cast a furtive glance around to make sure that I was alone before twisting the doorknob and pulling it open. I closed the door softly behind me and peered one last time out the window in the door to make sure that the hall was deserted before turning to face the room. Dark blue linoleum covered the floor, and the walls were covered with panels to optimize the production of sound. Rows of plastic chairs filled the room, all facing a mini stage at the front of the room. Various musical instruments were stacked on shelves, but the only instrument that caught my attention was the piano that stood unobtrusively in one corner of the stage.

Without even realizing it, my feet began to carry me all the way to the front of the large classroom, heading straight for the piano. As I mounted the steps to the platform, I imagined what it must sound like in this room when a full symphony of instruments was playing. When I reached the piano, I brushed my hand across the smooth black surface, savoring the familiar texture. A bubble of warmth rose in my chest as I stepped around to the front of the piano and sat on the bench, lifting the cover to caress the keys with my fingers.

Whenever I was feeling low, I would hole up in the mansion's sitting room and play the piano until the servants came to fetch me for dinner. Lately, though, I hadn't had time to play, what with all the catching up to do in school, so this felt like coming home. I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath, savoring the feel of the cold keys beneath my fingers. I could already feel my stress and anger flowing away, lifting a weight from my chest. As I slowly released the breath, I allowed my fingers to coax a new melody from the piano. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to ruin the moment of creating something new with distractions of my other senses. The notes rose up, clear and sweet, drifting through the air like a cloud of perfume. As my fingers wandered across the keys at will, I felt my mind relaxing and being renewed. This melody was sweet and haunting, shifting between moments of pure joy in the major key and moments of dark, bitter angst in the minor key.

The melody continued on for several minutes, consuming me in its haunting embrace. By the time the last notes trailed off into silence, my mind was soothed once more and my soul felt healed. My eyes were still closed, but a small, serene smile played at the corners of my lips. Until my eyes snapped open at the voice that drifted up to me from the doorway.

"Your playing is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard."

* * *

**Ooh, what do you think, guys? Good, bad? So-so? Let me know in a review! ;D And as usual, favoriting and following is appreciated! :D ...Well, I don't really have anything else to say this time, except that I'm so happy to be back and writing! So I guess I'll see you all next time! :) **


	10. Chapter 10 - To Join Or Not To Join

A/N: 'Ello, minna! I'm back with another chapter! :D A big thank you to **Lucyheartfilla, Nexyjo, Guest, aprildragonfire16, Guest, ElodieKumari94, 4EverETRNL, xXxSatasixXx, KawaiiOdango, TivaNaluKick4evs **and **Fairyhearts and El **for your reviews on the last chapter! I loved seeing your predictions for this chapter! I hope I don't disappoint anyone... o.O Thank you to **Annie Blackheart XD, Aya-chin, 9, TheBeastHunter, Soccergirl15, FairyTail5, preciousjewel101 **and **alinekiryuu** for favoriting and/or following! You guys all rock!

Now, please enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to leave a review to tell me your thoughts! :)

* * *

Chapter Ten – To Join Or Not To Join

I gasped and leapt to my feet, my gaze flying towards the figure leaning against the doorframe. Natsu's spiky pink hair was falling into his eyes, and a strange little smile was flirting around his lips. He pushed off of the doorframe and slowly began to walk toward me, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his black pants. Today, he wore a black dress shirt that was untucked in the back and left unbuttoned for the top and bottom two buttons. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his white tie was loosened around his neck.

"How long have you played?" he asked in a casual tone, slowly closing the distance between us.

I regarded him warily, not sure whether I should run or stay to talk. _There's really no reason to run,_ I told myself. _I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of._ "Since I was three."

Natsu raised his eyebrows and whistled lowly, clearly impressed. By now he had reached the stage, and came to a stop, looking up at me with a grin. "It shows. What was that song?"

I relaxed a little, allowing myself to slowly sink back onto the bench. "Just something I made up right now." I shrugged, trying to keep my tone as light as possible so as not to let on about my inner turmoil. Strangely, having Natsu here added to the peace that playing the piano had brought.

Natsu ducked his head and mounted the steps. "It's beautiful," he murmured, coming to a stop behind the piano. He folded his arms on top of the piano's box and leaned forward, peering down into my eyes. "And sad."

I shifted my gaze away from him, fiddling nervously with the hem of my shirt. I could feel Natsu's stare on me, but I continued to ignore him, pretending that the piano keys were suddenly very interesting.

I heard Natsu shift, and flicked my gaze up to him briefly to see that he had leaned closer. "Could it have something to do with…this?" he asked softly.

My head snapped up as I heard the rustle of paper, and my eyes widened in shock when I saw the crumpled ball of paper resting in the upturned palm of his hand. Blood was smeared across one side of it. I instinctively reached to snatch it away, but Natsu quickly used his other hand to grab mine and flip it palm-up. I grunted and tried to yank my hand out of his grasp, but he was stronger and determined to keep my hand in place. Suddenly, one of my movements tweaked the wounds in my palm, and I gasped as I glanced at my hand with a flinch. Four bloody crescents stared back at me, lined up all in a row. My struggles ceased as I realized that Natsu had grabbed this hand deliberately. When I risked a peek at him, I saw him gazing down at my palm with a dark expression. This time, he let me pull my hand away, and I quickly tucked it securely in my lap.

"How did you get that?" I asked in a low voice, casting my eyes down.

"I saw it fall out of your pocket when you stood up at the end of class."

I closed my eyes in defeat, regret filling me. I suddenly felt weary and bogged down by the weight of my emotions. All I wanted was to be made lighter, but I didn't know how. I couldn't play the piano all the time, after all. Natsu seemed to sense the change that had come over me, for I heard the faint rustling of his clothes as he moved around the piano. The bench creaked softly as he sat down beside me, and I felt his warmth pressing against my body as his arm and leg brushed against mine. It wasn't until I felt his hand squeezing my knee that I opened my eyes and looked at him. His eyes were soft and understanding, and his mouth…was just a few inches from my own mouth. I felt my breath coming faster, and made a conscious effort to keep my body relaxed. "Did you read it?" I asked emotionlessly, schooling my features to keep from showing any of my turbulent feelings.

His silence was answer enough. But then he said softly, "My father abused me when I was a child." My eyes snapped to his, my heart lurching in my chest. Why was he telling me this? "I never knew my mom," he continued. "One day, my dad up and left, to who knows where. I still have no idea what became of him. After he disappeared, I was left to wander aimlessly through the forest near our house. It was there that my adoptive father, Igneel, found me. These eleven years that I've been with him have been the best of my life." A fierce smile lit his face as he spoke of his adoptive father. I couldn't suppress the small smile that curled my own lips; it was obvious that Natsu loved Igneel.

After a moment of sitting in companionable silence, I realized that he had told me his story as a way of apology. The realization made something warm flutter in my stomach. He had intruded on one of my secrets, so in return, he had given me one of his. Gratitude and awe filled me; how could such a considerate person exist in my life? I would keep his secret until the day I died, if that's what he wanted.

On a sudden and different note, he asked, "So, can you also play the keyboard?"

Confused at the sudden change in topic, I nodded slowly. "I can. Why?" No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I recalled something that Levy had said to me shortly after my arrival. And suddenly, I knew exactly why Natsu had asked if I could play the keyboard.

"Will you join Fairy Tail as our keyboardist?"

There it was. The million-dollar question. I had to look away from the intensity and hopefulness of his gaze. Looking off to the side, I bit my lip. This couldn't be happening. Part of me desperately wanted to say yes, but I knew that my father would never approve. If he were to ever find out…. "Natsu…."

"Don't worry, the teachers are all understanding here," he said quickly. "They would give you some slack for potential bad grades, and grade them on a curve."

And that was also one of my concerns. If my grades were to start slipping…well, I'd be back in the Magnolia School for Girls faster than I could say no. "I'm sure that's the case, but—"

"I'd make sure that Gray and Loke stay off your back," he offered smoothly. "Of course, you would also get your full share of the profit."

If only money was a problem, this would be so much simpler. I sighed, melancholy creeping over me again. "I don't know…."

Natsu lowered his voice as he forced me to look him in the eyes and said, "Is it your father?" His fingers were gentle on my jaw as he nonetheless held my face firmly in place, not letting me avoid his gaze.

My grimace said it all.

"I see," Natsu sighed, releasing my face. He turned away and tapped his foot absentmindedly against the floor. "I don't know everything that's going on with your family, but I can promise you that the band and I will always support you, no matter what."

I looked up at his face, gazing wistfully off into the distance, and had the sudden urge to grab his shoulders and say, "Screw my father, I'm going to do what I want to." However, I merely sat there in silence, wishing for the millionth time that things were different.

"We have a concert this Friday."

I looked up at Natsu, confused by the sudden topic change yet again. "Uh, congratulations."

Natsu smiled affectionately and ruffled my hair. I gaped at him in dismay, my hands going to my hair to repair the damage. "Why don't you come to the concert, and then you can make up your mind after that. That way you can have some time to think about it and make a decision carefully. And Lucy…" he said, turning to face me, "promise me that you'll make a decision that you won't regret."

My hands stilled, and I met his intense gaze full-on. _A decision that I won't regret…._ "Fine. I accept."

Natsu nodded with a slight smile on his face. "For you," he whispered in my ear, slipping a glossy strip of paper into my hand. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as his breath fanned across my ear and neck, and I suppressed a shiver.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he was already gone, descending the stage steps and strolling toward the door with his hands in his pockets. He never did give me back the letter from my father, I realized with surprise. I closed my mouth with a soft exhalation of breath, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. _Sheesh…that guy. _Shaking my head, I looked down at the slip of paper in my hand. It was a ticket to their next concert, to be held in a neighboring town.

I sighed, sliding the ticket carefully into my wallet. _I guess I have no choice but to go to the concert now. I only hope that it helps me make the correct decision, whatever it might be. _

\(*o*)/

By the time Friday night rolled around, I was no closer to making a decision than before. Logically, I knew that I couldn't accept a part in the band. And yet, my heart kept hoping that there would be some way for me to be able to join. It didn't help that a certain someone had told his bandmates about my keyboard-playing, so they'd been on me about it all week. Erza, especially, had been making a big deal about it.

"Keyboardists and drummers are both a dying breed, and seriously underappreciated. We have to stick together, ne, Lucy?" Throughout the week, she'd been spouting nonsense like that, trying to convince me that I would, in effect, be betraying her if I didn't join.

Still, I couldn't see how this would work out if I wanted to be allowed to stay in Fairy Academy. And so, Friday night found me on my way to the concert, determined to decline their offer once and for all. I was sitting in the back of the Camaro, nervously tugging on my black leather mini shorts. My shimmery white halter top only came halfway down my stomach, exposing the lower half. My hair was pulled up into two messy pigtails on either side of my head, and I had applied a little heavier makeup than usual. If the house staff thought it weird that I was going to more concerts than before, they kept it to themselves. Well, except for Aquarius, of course, who had been just as nosy and bossy as ever. In fact, she had been so nosy that after primping me for the concert, she had proclaimed herself my chaperone for the night. Thus, she was the one driving me tonight, and intended to stick with me the whole night. I didn't know whether this would be a comfort or a nightmare.

When we pulled up to the address printed on the ticket, Aquarius circled around until she found a place to park. This time, the concert would not be held in a formal concert hall. As we approached the building it was to be held in, I noticed that it just appeared to be a grubby old store that had long since gone out of business. There were no windows, and the door was a big, iron, industrial-looking thing. Graffiti was scattered across the brick wall, and I exchanged glances with my blue-haired maid. Yep, this place looked pretty sketchy. _Onward we go._ We fell in with the flow of people passing through the door, and were surprised by the interior. It appeared to be some kind of underground club, judging from the neon-lit stairs that immediately led down into a spacious room.

As soon as we came out at the bottom of the steps, I looked around and saw that there were already a good number of people gathered. Across the open floor was the stage, which was currently dark and unoccupied. The room was lit only by neon light fixtures running along the walls and ceiling, casting an eerie glow over everything.

Mustering my strength, I grabbed Aquarius's arm and said, "Let's go." We shouldered our way through the crowd until we finally emerged at the front of the stage, panting and dripping sweat.

"This reminds me of my teenage days," Aquarius said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Except I was cool enough to have boys to go to concerts with."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Not necessary, Aquarius," I protested indignantly. "And I do have guy friends."

"Oh, that's right. Those boys from school who were over the other week." Her smile turned predatory as she nudged me. "So, which one do you like?"

I gaped at her incredulously. "I…How…What makes you think that I like any of them?" I sputtered, not knowing if I should be outraged or amused.

"Are you saying you don't?" she asked with a significant look at me.

I thought about it for a second. And then decided that I didn't want to think about it anymore, especially when the smiling face of a certain pink-haired boy kept popping into my mind. "Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying." I could decide if it was true later, after all.

Aquarius snorted, obviously not believing me. Thankfully, she didn't get a chance to poke any holes in my claim, because the spotlights above the stage suddenly clicked on, eliciting earsplitting screams from the fangirls. The neon lights on the walls and ceiling dimmed, replaced by glowing circles on the floor. We looked up at the stage, where the members of Fairy Tail were stepping into the spotlights with confident grins on their faces.

Aquarius grabbed my arm in a vice-like grip, and I turned to her with an annoyed frown. "What's the matter?"

"Th-those are the kids from your school," she stuttered, her eyes as wide as saucers. "The ones who were in our house."

"Um. Yes, those would be the same people." Maybe I should have told her about that before she volunteered to come to this concert with me….

"They're…they're famous idols?" she asked incredulously, a half-crazed look on her face.

"Apparently." I grinned guiltily at her, hoping she wouldn't freak out.

"And you didn't tell me?!"

_Oh no, here it comes._

"Ladies and gents, thank you all for coming out to support us this evening!" Loke shouted into a microphone. Immediately, a chorus of fanscreams went up, along with cries of "Loke-sama, marry me!" or "Loke, I love you!"

Yeah, right.

"Ooh, he looks so much hotter with a guitar in his hands…" Aquarius continued, a glazed, adoring look in her eyes.

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead with my palm. "Not you too, Aquarius," I moaned into my hands as I dragged them down my face. However, I had to acknowledge that her newfound admiration for the guy had come at a pretty handy time, as it had saved me an earful.

"My Scorpio is still hotter though," she sniffed proudly, though her eyes retained their glazed look.

_There will be no end to it,_ I thought wearily. _Remind me again why I let her come with me._

The band started playing, and Aquarius got right into the beat, quickly picking up the words as the other fans sang along. I could've sworn she was enjoying herself more than I was! I refocused on the band, trying to relax enough to get into it. The song they were playing was the one they had performed for me on the roof several weeks ago, and I smiled to myself as I recalled how into the music they had been. It made me happy just to watch them. My heart nearly stopped beating when, halfway through the song, Natsu looked directly at me and winked at me. _He knew I was right here,_ I thought breathlessly. Unfortunately, every other fangirl in my vicinity started screaming, thinking that the wink had been for them. _Yeah right, bitches. He's mine. _I blinked in surprise at the ferocity of my thoughts. Since when did I get so possessive? And of Natsu, of all people? I shook my head to clear it, writing it off as the atmosphere being damaging to my health. Inside, though, I was still a little shaken up.

The next few songs were pretty upbeat and energetic, and I found myself loosening up more. However, the next song up was even more lively, right off the bat. The crowd started cheering loudly, and I could only guess that this was one of their more popular songs. I started to bob my head in time to the beat, but then a familiar voice suddenly cut me short.

"Woohoo! Yeah! I love this song! Those are my students, you know."

I turned my head slowly and haltingly toward the short old man suddenly standing next to me. _Oh gosh, it is. It's really Headmaster Makarov. Thankfully, he hasn't noticed me yet._ I grimaced and inched my way over, until I was on the other side of Aquarius. Unfortunately, the principal of my school turned to my maid shortly after and started raving about how fantastic they were. I prayed with all my might that Aquarius would take pity on me and not tell him that I was there with her. _What's he even doing here, anyways?! He's way too old to be going to concerts still!_

Somehow, the night ended with no further mishaps. Fairy Tail was the only band playing there tonight, so the concert ended sooner than the last one I'd gone to. As the members made their final bows and exited the stage, I watched them go with a longing in my chest. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to experience the thrill of being up there on the stage with them, and seeing all the adoring fans there to support us. I wanted there to be an 'us'. And I knew I would regret it if I allowed my fears to hold me back from fulfilling my dreams.

"Well, fuck me, but aren't they just the greatest thing since sliced bread!" Aquarius raved as we made our way to the car. I had to roll my eyes at her choice of comparisons, but at least she seemed excited about them. I was pretty sure the fanservice might have had something to do with it... She seemed to really enjoy it when Natsu licked Gray's neck and Gray kissed Loke's stomach where it was exposed by his half-buttoned dress shirt. "And to think, you're actually friends with them!" she gushed.

As the cool night air swirled past me, a thought suddenly occurred to me. I nearly tripped over my own feet in my sudden excitement as I leapt forward to link arms with Aquarius. "Say…Aquarius?"

"Hmm?" she hummed dreamily.

"Would you be interested in meeting them again?" I asked slyly.

"Hell yes! When are they coming over again?"

"Just one second," I soothed, holding my hand up to signal for her to slow down. "I have a proposition for you…."

Aquarius peered down her nose at me, a grudgingly interested gleam in her blue eyes. "Go on."

I knew I had her. I had to suppress the giddy squeal that threatened to bubble up, and instead focused on looking as innocent as possible. "Natsu, the lead singer, actually came to me earlier this week…and asked me if I wanted to join their band as their keyboardist. I told him I would think about it, and I need to have my answer by tonight."

Aquarius grew somber. "Miss Lucy, you know your father would never agree to that," she said gently, a regretful gleam in her eyes.

"I know. And that is why I want you to make it our little secret. Together, we could come up with an excuse for my absences when I'm out with the band, and no one else would ever have to know. You saw the principal tonight; I would never have to worry about grades if I joined the band. And what's more…I would have unlimited access to the boys. I'm sure if you did me this favor, I could think of some way to repay you…." I glanced at her slyly out of the corners of my eyes, a devious quirk to my lips. If Aquarius went along with this, I could join the band without fear.

After a moment, Aquarius finally sighed. "Oh, alright." She tried to sound irritated, but I could tell that she was secretly enjoying this little arrangement. _So maybe it turned out to be a good thing that she came along._ "But you have to promise to let me sit in on one of your practices, or whatever it is you do."

I couldn't hold back my elation anymore, and I threw my arms around her shoulders, grinning like a maniac. "I promise! Thank you, Aquarius! I knew you were my favorite for a reason." I winked at her as I pulled back, and she harrumphed as she stalked up to the car and opened my door for me.

_Yes. I can do this! Everyone, watch out; here comes Lucy, the fifth member of Fairy Tail!_

* * *

**Did you guys like that little face \(*o*)/ that I made as the divider between time periods? XD That's how I look when I see hot guys playing music onstage... ;D Lol anyways, leave a review on this chapter, guys! :D And don't forget to favorite and follow if you haven't done so already! :) Any predictions for what's going to happen next? Any thoughts on what happened in this chapter? ;) Let me know them all in a review! Have a nice day, everyone! Or night, if you live in the same quadrant of the globe as me. :D **


End file.
